In Silly Willy Winston in the Adventures of Inspector Snout - The case of the missing tadpole Silly Willy Winston takes on the secret identity of Inspector Snout to help his friend Billy find his missing tadpole. Much more than an open and shut case, Billy along with readers are taken on an adventure of discovery into the amazing world of metamorphosis as they learn that the tadpole is not missing – just a bit different.

Here's what a teacher who reviews and blogs about children's and young adult books wrote:

I LOVE this book! The blend of informational text in a fiction story is incredible. The premise for the book is Inspector Snout teaching Billy about metamorphosis. The book begins with Billy thinking his tadpole is missing but Inspector Snout explains to him that it is not missing just changing a bit. It is easy for young readers to understand a complex science cycle with the simple text and colorful, detailed illustrations. The diagrams showing the life cycle of tadpoles and honeybees are remarkable and educational.

Maguire continues to teach young readers that many other animals go through metamorphosis, such as, salamanders, honeybees, caterpillars, dragonflies, crustaceans and jellyfish. Another unique feature is that tricky science terms are followed with the pronunciation spelling.

I can’t wait to use this book to teach insect metamorphosis. Then expand to other animals that go through metamorphosis. 5 stars