Toads and Diamonds
#10153.74 adjusted 3.79 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2010 Reading commitment Low Heather Tomlinson Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Toads and Diamonds is a 2010 young adult fantasy by Heather Tomlinson, published by Henry Holt. It retells Charles Perrault's French fairy tale "Diamonds and Toads" in a village in a magical India. Two stepsisters, Diribani and Tana, each receive a gift from a goddess at a well: flowers and jewels fall from Diribani's lips when she speaks, while snakes and toads fall from Tana's. The story follows how each girl copes with her gift and where it leads her. It is a single self-contained novel and has no sequels.
Fairy-tale retelling · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Toads and Diamonds Heather Tomlinson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Toads and Diamonds; Retells Charles Perrault's fairy tale "Diamonds and Toads". | 2010 | 1 | core | 3.74 (2,803 ratings) |
A standalone retelling of a French fairy tale set in a magical India.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Toads and Diamonds? Toads and Diamonds's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Toads and Diamonds finished? Complete (2010).
- How much reading does Toads and Diamonds take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Toads and Diamonds ranked? #1015 in this site's official ranking, based on 2,803 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1015?
Ranked #1015 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.74 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (2,803 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.02 behind #1014, Tales of Einarinn.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 3k ratings · Ranks #1015 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment fairy-tale retelling fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Children's Literature), 2011: nominated: Toads and Diamonds
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- A Thousand Nights Fairy-tale retelling / Historical fantasy · Unfinished · Low commitment · 3.60
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.74 across 2,803 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 29 universes; Inda widened to Sartorias-deles; 5 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Heather Tomlinson's official site Tier 2
- FantasticFiction Tier 2
- Publishers Weekly Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = Toads and Diamonds (2010).