Amphibia Island - Durwood White - Bog

This is the story of a special frog who lives in the Amazon rainforest. All of his friends are disappearing, and he wants to look for them. The head bullfrog refuses to allow him to leave the pond because there was an explorer taking tadpoles and water samples. Though the explorer had not been back in two years, the bullfrog had set rigid rules that no frog was to leave the pond. But this frog was going to look for his friends no matter what the punishment might be. He waits for a rainstorm to hide him and goes out into the dark forest anyway. He slips in the mud, and crashes through a thatched hut where a wizard is having a magic dance, and Poof: he's a little boy! He races away not knowing who he is or what has happened. His friend, Snezzy, a pterodactyl no longer recognizes his smell, but the lad finally convinces him to transport him to an island composed of lava. He finds a huge cave where a ship is anchored. After boarding the ship, it seems to be vacant, but suddenly the engines start and it motors out into the open ocean. Suddenly a sailor appears leaning on the rail, smoking a pipe. The sailor informs the lad he is sailing for Amphibia Island. The sailor is impressed with the intelligent questions the lad asks, and tells him the wizard used a magic potion. The sailor has been hired by an explorer, who has engaged the wizard to transform the frogs into girls and boys. The sailor takes these frog-people to all parts of the world. The explorer anticipates that the wizard can concoct a potion to transform the people back to frogs, while he discovers why the frogs are disappearing all over the world. The ship finally arrives at Amphibia Island, where this little frog-lad is to live. He gives him a map and the lad follows a red brick road to Lily Pad Junction, population 800. He lives at Pond Water Park because he likes to be around water. A soccer ball bounces into the pond and a little girl jumps in to get it, suddenly realizing she cannot swim. The lad dives into the pond and rescues the girl. Judy Croaker is grateful and the lad offers to walk her home. Her father is the principal of the school, Chris Croaker. When he realizes the boy has no name, and he has no son, he gives him the name Eddie Croaker, and a bed in the basement. In the living room over the fireplace hangs a picture of a ship; the same ship that brought Eddie to Amphibia Island. Eddie's new brain begins to ask questions. Mr. Croaker tells Eddie that he came to this island on that ship. His father was an explorer who gave this island its name, and was studying how to save the frogs, which were somehow missing around the world; he is buried in the graveyard behind the church. Eddie is blown away. Weeby Awphil, the soccer coach has witnessed Eddie's extraordinary leaping ability but fails to convince him to play goalie at the upcoming match with the Swamp Water Vipers, neither has the assistant coach, Jim Nasium been successful. The coach has not won a match in the school rivalry and is facing dismissal. The old sailor appears in a mist and tells Eddie the coach has kidnapped Judy. The assistant coach offers to train Eddie for the match. Eddie agrees, hoping to save Judy. During the match, Eddie leaps into the air and grabs the soccer ball, steps to the sideline and kicks the ball toward the Viper's net. It sails the entire length of the field and enters the net just as the buzzer ends the match. Eddie quickly rushes beneath the stands looking for Weeby Awphil who was allowed to coach by Chris Croaker, thinking it would keep his daughter, Judy safe. Spike Skinhead, the Vipers best player informs Eddie he knows where Judy is being held, and takes him and Jim to an abandoned banana factory. Eddie releases Judy as Weeby steps from the shadows with a gun. Spike and Jim suddenly wrestle Weeby to the ground. The old sailor appears out of a mist: Judy is a frog-person, too, who came out of Eddie's pond.