Tadpoles

Two boys plan to sell the tadpoles they find in a creek to pet stores after they turn into frogs; a pianist tries to protect his infant child from becoming collateral damage when his neighbor falls afoul of the mob; a volatile father, released from institutionalization, tries to convince his in-laws that he is fit to take care of his two-year-old son; worrying about how to tell his conservative parents that his girlfriend is pregnant, a man finds the remains of a corpse in her backyard. These are but a few of Britton’s short stories that make up this collection called Tadpoles. Twelve tales of children struggling with childhood and parents grappling with parenthood, told with wit and sympathy.