Toad Attack‪!‬

Upper Dab is under attack from a mysterious invasion of toads in this hilarious adventure from award-wining Waterstones Children's Laureate Patrice Lawrence.

After a toad lands on his head as he leaves his house one morning, Leo is determined to find out where it has come from and why. Together with his friend Rosa, he needs to come up with some answers before the angry residents of Upper Dab take matters into their own hands and the toads become toast! A brilliantly quirky comedy caper with a diverse and inclusive cast of characters. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+

Reviews

"Brilliantly funny and effortlessly diverse" – Jo Clarke

"Leo and Rosa feel like old friends even by chapter two … A fun, original adventure that will keep everyone hoppy" – LoveReading4Kids

"This amusing tale positively portrays a range of ethnicities, family set-ups and disability" – BookTrust

"What a delight this story is … Another must have for primary school classrooms and libraries" – A Library Lady

About the author

Patrice Lawrence is the current Waterstones Children's Laureate, appointed for the 2026–2028 tenure. Her debut YA novel, Orangeboy, won the YA Book Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Older Readers, and was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award. Her other novels include Indigo Donut, the Jhalak Prize winner Eight Pieces of Silva and the Carnegie Medal shortlisted Needle. In 2021, Patrice was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature.

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Becka Moor is the illustrator of The Royal Babysitters, runner-up in the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award, and of Violet and the Pearl of the Orient, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Becka was born in Manchester, where she still lives.