Tadpole Summer
🐸🌿💚😭
by Catherine Bruton
★★★★★
At a glance
Things I loved:
✍🏼 Author: Catherine Bruton
🎨 Cover artist: Oriol Vidal
📅 Release Date: 7th May 2026
📚 Book type: Chapter, 272 pages
🌟 Reader level: Confident
🌱 Nature & animals
💚 Beautiful family relationships
🧬 Genetics & science
🐸 A truly unforgettable story
😭 Have the tissues ready
📚 Perfect for UKS2
Dive Deeper
My Thoughts...
I picked up Tadpole Summer using one of my end-of-year book vouchers and OH MY GOSH… I will remember this book forever.
This gorgeous story follows Frog (Fran) and her younger brother Tad as they come to terms with Tad’s illness and rapid deterioration. Tad lives with SMA-PME, a type of spinal muscular atrophy, and I learnt so much about the condition and the impact it has on both patients and their families. I finished this book absolutely bawling my eyes out!
I adored the relationship between Frog, Tad and their grandpa, but I also loved how heavily nature and animals feature throughout the story. As someone who grew up being taught the value of nature, I felt such a strong connection to this book, and it will definitely hold a special place in my heart.
🌟I think this would make a fantastic UKS2 class read, opening up discussions around life cycles, genetics, terminal illness, living loss, bereavement and grief. If you haven’t read it yet, I wholeheartedly recommend it - just get the tissues ready!🌟
Blurb
Frog has always known her younger brother Tad is unwell. He has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (called SMA-PME for short) but that has never been an obstacle for their unbreakable bond. They share a room and do everything together, Frog happy to do whatever Tad needs.
But when Tad is taken into hospital, Frog finds it difficult to be in their bedroom alone and starts camping in the garden. She only plans to be there while Tad is away but she finds an unexpected calm amongst the sounds and smells of nature and a space of her own that she's never had before.
When Tad comes up, their bedroom has to change to accommodate all his hospital equipment and Frog isn't sure where she fits in their family anymore. She retreats back into the garden, using the excuse of a sponsored camp out for charity. But as Tad's condition worsens, Frog needs to face the truth that she may not have much longer with him.
Should I read this book?
You should read this book if you...
🐸love nature🐸
🐸like learning about other children's lives🐸
🐸don't mind sad stories!🐸
Reader level: confident
Content: 8+
Help me to read
SMA: A group of conditions that affect the muscles and make them weaker.
SMA-PME: A rare type of SMA that causes muscle weakness and can also affect the nervous system.
Muscles: Parts of the body that help us move and stay strong.
Tadpoles: Young frogs that live in water before they grow into frogs.
Frogspawn: The eggs that frogs lay in water.
Lifecycle: The different stages a living thing goes through as it grows and changes.
Badgers: Wild animals with black-and-white faces that live in underground homes called setts.
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