Toad Rage (Toad, #1) by Morris Gleitzman

Toad Rage (Toad, #1) Reviews

• 
  Barb Middleton

  Splat!
  
  Limpy sighs and limps over to where a car has just flattened a relative. Again. He’ll have to wait for him to dry out before he can carry him home. Limpy, a cane toad, is sick of cars purposefully driving over his relatives. He limps because a car drove over his leg. Why do people hate cane toads? This is the setup for a funny book about Limpy who goes on a mission to make humans like cane toads. He gets help from the not-so-bright Goliath and a human girl. He thinks that if he can become a mascot for the Olympic games people will like toads. He and Goliath have all sorts of adventures and meet other insects and animals along the way that have questions as well.
  
  Limpy is quite likeable and sincere. While other toads and animals are killed it shouldn’t distress kids. It is quite funny and done in a clever way that shows readers how creatures fit in the food chain. Readers also learn about Australia and words that are unique to their country with a glossary in the back to help. The quirky humor about bugs, reptiles and toads should appeal to certain readers.
  
• 
  Alysa Craigie

  This toad has a pile of his dead, truck-flattened relatives stacked in his bedroom...
• 
  Annie McMahon

  Positive Points
  With a unique and entertaining writing style, a good mix of drama and humor sprinkled throughout, and endearing characters, this book is a winner!
  
  Add to this a cliffhanger at almost every chapter and you get a page turner. The chapters are very short and easy to read. It was hard to put it down. I kept reading just one more short chapter, and one more, until I realized I had read the whole book. This story would appeal even to reluctant readers, boys and girls alike.
  
  The characters are well developed and believable. The main character, Limpy, is a cane toad with a crooked leg that makes him go around in circles when he tries to hop too fast. He goes on a mission to make humans like toads rather than try to squish them. His sweet, lovable little sister, Charm, accompanies him in his journey, along with his oversized cousin, Goliath, who tries to get back at cars for flattening toads by throwing sticks at them as they pass by.
  
  I learned some Australian expressions, thanks to the glossary at the end explaining each one of them. Glossaries are normally boring, but not this one. The definitions have a little funny twist, some of which made me laugh out loud.
  
  Negative Points
  I don't normally enjoy books written from an animal's POV. I guess this is an exception! I can't find anything negative to say about this book, really. Okay, a toad isn't the cute, cuddly character we're used to, but Limpy has its charms, and a good heart.
  
  What makes this book unique
  I had never read a book told from a cane toad's POV before. I learned something about toads: They can squirt poison from glands. Who knew? I'm not sure if a toad's warts really prickle when they sense danger, but it's fun to imagine they might. Who would have thought that a book about toads would be so interesting?
  
  Overall Impression
  Great read! I recommend it to anyone with a good sense of humor.
• 
  Nathaniel

  I think the book toad rage is a very interisting book. It is very wierd from a toads prospective. I think that it was also really exciting and had some breath taking moments. I sugest that you read this book.
• 
  Renée Lu

  Read this book for my brother's bedtime stories. Personally I didn't get into it very much, but my brother did. Everytime I said "Top feed" in the voice of a fruit fly he thought it was SO FUNNY.
• 
  Dina Roberts

  This book deals with a feeling some of us have—a desperate desire to be loved and accepted by those who find us disgusting and despise us.
  
  Limpy is a cane toad living in Australia. Cane toads are an invasive species in Australia and many Australians see them as an enemy.
  
  Limpy wants to be form a positive relationship with the human species and goes off to try to do this. The book is about his adventures.
  
  One thing that bothered me about the book: We're shown what the humans are saying, so we know what's going on. But then although Limpy can hear what the humans are saying, he can't understand them. That didn't work for me. Since we're hearing the story through Limpy's eyes, I think we should understand what he understands. Then again, the book is told through third person narration. If it was first person narration, I think this technique might have been worse.
  
  Something I loved in the book: A group of Aussie animals complaining about not being chosen as an Aussie icon/mascot...including the infamous Sydney Funnel Web Spider. Very cute and funny scene.
• 
  Debra Robert

  This is another great book for older children. This story is told from the perspective of the toads. They rebel.
  
  I know I’ve sad this before but I think it’s important for children of all ages to look at things from another’s point of View, even if that’s from the POV of another living thing. It helps us to look at what we’re doing and also helps us to recognize feelings when they’re portrayed in animals or insects...
• 
  Susan Iverson

  this book was assigned in my daughter's school's book club for 3rd/4th level children & family. the book was laugh out-loud funny, and could be a powerful metaphor for larger social dilemmas: I was reminded of the conversations about inclusion/exclusion of indigenous peoples in Australia when the Olympic Games were there; something i imagine Morris Gleitzman must've been thinking about.
• 
  Anna Davidson

  A funny story about a cane toad on a mission to discover why humans despise cane toads. An easy middle primary read, with some good opportunities for discussion about judging others and issues of inclusion/exclusion in society.
• 
  Mr. Awesome

  Its kind of a book for younger people, but I liked as well.
• 
  Frankie

  A wonderful story about a cane toad named Limpy, and his adventure as he tries to save his entire species.
• 
  Callie

  I just love when a funny book makes you laugh out loud as you are reading the story. This is not that book! Despite the fact that 3 out of 4 people on the back of the book recommended as funny or hilarious It is no such thing.
  
  The writing style is not terrible, but nothing spectacular either. The story itself does not draw you in the way it could if it lived up to the title. On the plus side, about 8 chapters in, the story did get me to look up what a cane toad actually was as I had never heard of them before. The Australian slang was not a problem in getting through the story as the author did provide a nice glossary in the back section of the book. What was challenging is the story itself.
  
  This little injured toad is constantly asking why humans hate them so much. The way story was written did not give the impression that vehicles were aiming at these toads, and other than Limpy, the main character, constantly saying this, it was easier to conclude that like any other creature crossing the road these toads were just happening to be hit by the vehicles that were traveling through the area. Despite that during a point in the story his question was in fact answered for him, *that they are ugly, disgusting, creatures,* he still continued to ask the question and not seem to understand why they were hated so much. It was kind of monotonous and the whole story seemed to have no point. I found it annoying that he couldn't understand the humans, yet seemed to know what certain things were called...it was very questionable since he didn't understand the language how he would know what these specific items were. Additionally, it made his species seem extremely stupid considering many of the other animals (including insects) could understand what humans were saying and had to translate or explain things. Somehow despite humans supposedly hating them because they're these despicable creatures a young girl befriends him, which continues to make zero sense in the whole humans hating and purposely trying to kill these toads. I put this book down so many times feeling like much more time had passed when it was actually not that long, the story it's just that boring! It does turn out I wouldn't have had to look up information on cane toads since the author did later answer my question; I think that question should have been answered sooner. The ending doesn't make sense...it's trying to tie-in something that happened, but the events leading up to the end and the structure of the ending none of it feels like it fits with the other parts of the story.
  
  On the plus side, this is not the worst book I have read. However, that said, I would not read another in this series, and I'm surprised that there actually is more in this series.
• 
  Max Davine

  Morris Gleitzman's work always posed a unique problem for me, and this may shock folks overseas, but not all Australians use his beloved and oft-flaunted "Aussie" lingo. The same problem popped up for me in "Water Wings", where, if one does not belong to this particular culture, one really struggles to one's head around the familial relationships and language being depicted. Perhaps this has to do with Gleitzman himself being English by birth, and embracing the Australian identity with exaggerated enthusiasm, or perhaps there are actually people who use words like "gran" in my country, and I just haven't managed to find them yet.
  
  That small gripe aside, Gleitzman is an excellent introduction for children and literature, and this stands out as being particularly literary of his work for younger readers. It introduces the concept of the Odyssean journey, something that any reader, and certainly any writer, would do well to familiarize themselves with. It opens doors to adult literature of this vein; the journey, the stake, the consequence, are all very plain and simply and laid out for younger minds to comprehend, and open the doors to a world of culture beyond their wildest dreams.
• 
  Toby G

  Are you looking for a book about a toad on a mission? ʷʰʸ ᵈᵒ ⁱ ᵖⁱᶜᵏ ᵘᵖ ᵃˡˡ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉˢᵉ ʷᵉⁱʳᵈ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ
  
  I recommend this book to you if you want to be hooked on a book until the very end. (I personally
  now want to read the rest of the series)
  
  The wonderful book Toad Rage is about a toad called Limpy, Limpy lives in the heart of Queensland with all of his brothers, sisters, mother, father, uncles, aunties, grandparents... ok I think you get the picture. While Limpy is out getting bugs with one of his uncles, a truck comes roaring past and squishes his uncle after seeing his uncle’s death he sets out on a journey to ask humans to stop running over cane toads will he succeed?
  
  two reasons I like this this book is it puts you in a different point of view which is good because most of the time it’s always the humans getting the spotlight another reason is the pace that the story goes in, the story doesn't rush by to quick but it doesn't drag out either.
  
  Although something that might make it better is some the characters duration for example Limpy brought together animals and then the next four pages the animals were irrelevant, but it's still an amazing book.
  
  In conclusion Toad Rage is and amazing book I would recommend it to most people, so go to your nearest book store or library and get a copy.
  
• 
  Shane Harcombe

  This story starts well, in typical Morris Gleitzman style. We have the funny, confident and naive young protagonist in a bid to save the world. Lumpy is a likeable character. The premise is interesting, how does a cane toad make itself understood and loveable to humans, and the setting was great for the time, the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
  However, as the story went on, it didn't grab me. Tiny variations of the same theme kept occurring, I felt like opportunities to explore important areas were missed as I don't think there was really a resolution...the toads end up back where they started, with no change in status. I am surprised there are two more books in the series, hard to see where they will go.
• 
  Jennifer

  Cute story. I had no idea about cane toads before reading. This is an interesting take on what it would be like to be a “pest.” I recommend for older kids who are ok with a bit of violence. For example, the main character, Limpy, watches his favorite uncle get flattened by a truck tire—intentionally. It happens at the very beginning, like the first couple pages, so I’m not giving anything away saying that.
• 
  Ashleigh Miller

  This is such a good story about a cain toad trying to find out why they are hated by humans and trying to save his species. I really liked that it was from the Toads perspective and that we did get to see other animals and insects as well. Not only this but having the Games was a fun addition. Great story
• 
  Jodie Gale

  Enjoyed this with the kids on a long car journey (audio). Would make a great companion for families travelling to QLD by car! Funny at times and raised some good talking points about feeling good enough.
• 
  Alex wilcoxen

  great
• 
  Rachel Grover

  Cute but I thought it was kinda dumb overall. Definitely some laugh out loud moments, but I certainly wouldn't read the rest of the series.
• 
  Ren

  I had to read this for school, back in 2009 when I was in year six- and it has stuck with me ever since. It's a book about toads man,
• 
  Ethan

  good
• 
  Kylie Abecca

  I never thought I would be able to feel empathy for a cane toad. What a gorgeous little story.
• 
  Bunmi

  More a 3.5
  
  It's a fun silly read with a toad protagonist.
• 
  Rebekah Snyder

  I will read anything this man writes.
• 
  Brooke Paton

  Book was good