Spadefoot toads are remarkable animals and have inspired a series of paintings about them and their environments. Some species of these toads, such as the Great Basin Spadefoot pictured here, live in seasonal marshes that can remain dry for years, yet the toads survive. In portraying their development, I’ve tried to capture that wonder and the beauty of their transient world. This image is for a nonfiction picture book about spadefoot toads.