A song for Little Toad

A bedtime story about motherly love, which was shortlisted for the 1995 Smarties Book Prize (0-5 category).

Croak croak croak, Sleep, my little sweet one. Croak croak croak, Close your eyes and sleep.";This is the song that Old Mother Toad sings to her baby at bedtime.

But Little Toad's eyes are bright and shining. A soft "Baaaaa, Baaaaaa" would be more soothing, a sheep suggests, while a passing duck advises a cheerful "Quack!

Quack! Quackitty quack!" When a nightingale offers his remedy, a sweet and gentle lullaby, a tear falls from Old Mother Toad's eye.

For how can a toad match the singing of a nightingale?

Happily, though, Little Toad himself has the solution - it's his mother's song that he wants and asks for and that, finally, sends him to sleep.;Vivian French's books include "Jackson's Juniors", "Under the Moon", "Zenobia and Mouse", "Mary Poggs and the Sunshine", "Once Upon a Time", "Why the Sea is Salt", 'Princess Primrose", "Baker Ben", "Doctor Elsie", "Lazy Jack", "Caterpillar, Caterpillar" (shortlisted for the Emil/Kurt Maschler Award), "The Apple Trees" and "Spider Watching".;Barbara Firth won the Smarties Book Prize and the 1988 Kate Greenaway Medal for "Can't You Sl