I LOVE the artwork here! Images are super crisp, bright and colorful, planted on a white background - very eye-catching! Awan starts out channeling both Richard Scarry with his animals in cars, AND Dr. Seuss with his simple declarations:
Big cars.
Little cars.
Old cars.
New cars.
And, then he branches off into his own unique story all about helping others, and, very occasionally, admitting you may need help yourself.

Simply told, engaging, and fun, this one's a definite winner.

Toad loves to help people and spends his days rescuing stranded community members with his tow truck. With that being said , what happens when the helper needs to ask for help? This adorable tale highlights the importance of self care and asking for help. Toad is such a cute protagonist; I really enjoyed the book! The sentences are very simple with playful illustrations, so it's a great option for a Pre-K storytime! 4 stars

Towed by Toad, a picture book by Jashar Awan introduces us to the noble character, Toad, who drives a tow truck. Toad is always rushing around, happy to be helping people. It seems like there is no shortage of people and vehicles who need help. But what will Toad do when he finds himself in a situation where he is the one who needs help. Sometimes accepting help is more difficult than offering help. The book is filled with bright, colorful illustrations that draw the reader in. Be on the lookout for subtle word play as well, For example, one of the drivers is a William Goat Gruff who perhaps in his younger days might have gone by Billy. This is a fun, engaging story for reading aloud.

This is super cute! The illustrations, alterations and rhyming all added to the sweet story and message that everyone needs help sometimes.

Towed by Toad is full of animal puns and plenty of alliteration to share a deeper message about asking for help. In this boom animal metropolis, there's plenty of different characters who need to drive around town. Toad is a tow truck driver, and he is there for anyone who breaks down on the road. When Toad experiences his own car trouble, who is there to help Toad when he needs it? This book is a great addition to any Storytimes or read aloud sessions., and the short phrases on each page makes it a great book for early childhood readers. I really enjoyed that this book opens up conversations about helping others and asking for help when we need it.

The illustrations in Towed by Toad are funny and super cute! This book will definitely be a hit with young car lovers. I feel this book might also have worked very well as a board book.

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley, for this ARC of Towed by Toad, written by Jashar Awan! What a fun, silly, and sweet story about a Toad and his life as a Tow Truck driver!

The book's wording is simple, which is wonderful for my younger readers! That said, the illustrations capture the words perfectly to help the reader understand the words written. The characters in the story show a diverse community of animals, and I think that was done intentionally well. I love the concept of a Toad being a tow truck driver and how he is always helping others while his Father always supports him. I think this gives realistic examples of what can happen to vehicles when driving and can be used to show children that accidents happen, but there are people to help. I also love the emotions depicted on the character's faces because it allows you to better understand people's emotions in these situations. So well done!

There is one spot in the story I won't spoil, but it reminded me of my Dad when he would get frustrated with his car or motorcycle and how we would react! It was funny and relatable! I am sure I am not the only person with a parent like that! I also love stories that remind me of my own life and bring me back to my childhood!

Thank you again for this ARC. I look forward to purchasing this book for my school's library this September 2024 and reading it with my students!

Towed by Toad is a really adorable book about a toad that drives a tow truck and helps everyone who needs it. I loved this one! The illustrations are great, and it was lovely to see all of the different reasons that someone might need a tow truck. I also really liked the messaging at the end, and the encouragement that everyone needs help sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jashar Awan, and Penguin Random House Canada for the chance to read and review! My opinions are my own.

A truly delightful addition to a library picture book collection, and an excellent choice for an active toddler or preschool story time as it combines cute animal characters with colorful cars, silly sound effects, and the reminder that it's important to take care of yourself and ask for help when you need it. Although a great story time pick, this book works equally well one on one, allowing the younger reader to engage with the details of the illustrations (like the cars piling up at the shop) and the older readers to enjoy the subtle humor playing out in the background (like the journalist taking the mayor's photo after the mayor runs a stop sign). Thank you to NetGalley for access to this enjoyable arc.

A cast of cute animals are assisted by a chipper little toad mechanic. And it’s just charming.

I like the art styles relatively simple animals and vehicles, but do have to dock some points for the extensive whitespace. Except for one page where we can see a few buildings, the only backgrounds given are a few streetlights. I don’t think the art style here lends itself to sweeping, detailed landscapes, but, like…a few trees? A cloud? A house or two?

That said, my kid had a good time with this. She’s not big into amphibians, but the animals in general were cute enough, and working vehicles are always a hit. I think this is a good pick for any parent who is trying to branch their kids out from pure construction site reading.

Advanced reader copy provided by publisher.

3.5? The illustrations are adorable and the concept is super cute! I just think the flow wasn’t the best for capturing my toddler’s attention. It’s one she enjoyed but wasn’t her favorite! Some of her favorites have more repetition and rhyming. All kids are different though and thought this really was so cute! With a couple edits to the wording I think it would be a favorite!

My husband and some of our family have driven a tow truck for many decades and so this story was perfect for us. I love that my children could really connect with the story. We follow this adventure with Toad who is always on the go and busy helping others with his tow truck. His dad is always trying to get him to slow down a bit, even having to remind him to take time to eat. So what happens when Toad breaks down?He can’t tow himself,so what can he do? Toad has to learn to take time and to let others help him. This was a fun and silly story. The author does a wonderful job of creating a simple and engaging story. The Illustrations are also simple, colorful and make the story complete. We loved this story. We received this as an ebook ARC but we can’t wait to add it to our home collection and to give some to the family as well. Your family will love this little adventure.
Our family gives a 1000 stars

Very cute story with a wonderful message: even the "helpers" in the world sometimes need help! I think kids and parents will enjoy the illustrations and simple but perfect message. Ordering this for our picture book section!

I read this one with my son (age 3) and he absolutely loved it!! The illustrations are perfect! They aren’t overdone but they can easily tell the story…actually the 3rd time we read it, that is how my son “read” it to me! Originally, I wanted to read it to him because of his love of all things trucks. However, it surpassed my hopes. We loved it!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A cute book about what happens when people need help, Toad to the rescue. But what happens when Toad needs help?

Towed by Toad is a children’s book written by Jashar Awan.

Summary: Toad is good at his job.

He loves to help others.

But can he learn to accept help from others when he really needs it?

My Thoughts: This book is really cute.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and there is a good message as well.

I especially like that there is what I like to call a good re-readability to this book.

By that, I mean a re-read over and over again won’t make the adult crazy!

Too often, one read is enough with children’s books, but this one can definitely be read on multiple occasions and still be enjoyed.

This book would make a great gift for any small child-especially one who really loves vehicles and/or animals.

I would like to thank Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tundra Books for an E-ARC in exchange for my, and my son's, honest reviews.

Such a cute book! The illustrations are bright and fun to look at, the words are simple enough for a young child to understand. The message is sweet and shows how everyone needs help every once in a while and it's okay to ask for help. I read this with my 4 year old and he enjoyed it! After reading it he asked to read it again so that's a plus. The next night, my son asked to read one of our new books (we have several) and when I asked him which one, he said "Towed by Toad!" So this one is a definite keeper.

When this book comes out in September I would love to purchase a physical copy.

A fun new title for youngsters who love transport. Lots of fun rhymes and puns, however I did find the lack of consistency to the rhyme scheme a little jarring, I wish it had continued throughout the text. A sweet message and vibrant illustrations make this a must have for the 3-5y bracket.

This is such a fun, sweet story and could be great for early readers! It also has a great message of letting kids know it's ok to ask for help!
My 6 year old thought the animals names were hilarious. I also thought the on page rhymes were great and the illustrations were fantastic!

My son loves this book! Definitely a must for any little car lovers! Perfect for toddlers and a simple read for those learning to read.