We tried to balance the mother's speed as to not make it too easy for the tadpoles to stay close with her, otherwise the predator threat would have been too small, but maybe it could have been a little faster. Also, if you press/keep pressing the Space key, the tadpoles will realease their objects and walk closer and towards their mother, which I think it's what you meant by a "recall" mechanic. I'm not sure, but we may have forgotten to mention it in the tutorials.
Anyway, thanks a lot for the feedback and for playing!