This small book offers to children a useful introduction to amphibians -- those vertebrate animals that commonly reside at the interface of land and water. Although frogs and toads receive most of the attention, salamanders and the limbless caecilians are also mentioned (the book title notwithstanding). The text presents basic information about natural history, including what the animals eat, where they live, and how they reproduce and develop. Good quality, full- color diagrams of the various species are found in nearly every page. A variety of types of amphibians is featured, including tree frogs, arrow-poison frogs, the desert- dwelling burrowing toad, fire salamander, and the crested newt. Also included is the midwife toad (in which males carry developing eggs on their backs), the cave- swelling blind salamander (the olm), the Mexican axolotl, and the "paradoxical frog," whose tadpoles are three times larger than the adult. The book contains an index, a pronunciation guide, and a glossary of biological terms. This 48 page guide is part of the "Read About" series, and it may well spark the interests of youngsters into the fascinating world of amphibians. ( )