Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #436487 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-03
• Released on: 2007-04-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The backyard exploration begun with In the Tall, Tall Grass continues here with Fleming's latest picture-book peek at nature. The animals and insects that live on and in a freshwater pond wiggle, waddle, hover, swoop and swirl through the stunning spreads--and through the seasons of the year. Fish, frogs and fowl cavort first in the vibrant greens and yellows of spring and summer, then on through fiery autumn reds and oranges and, finally, amid barren browns and icy whites as winter sets in. Young children are introduced to the basic habits of common North American wildlife and to the characteristics of the changing seasons even as they are treated to an array of zippy verbs. Fleming's color-saturated handmade paper technique makes for dramatic tapestries that feature both sharp contrast and subtle shading. Scenes depicting clacking crawfish and parading geese are especially spirited. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
In the same format and gorgeous illustrative style, a companion to In the Tall, Tall Grass (1991, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor), with the succinct rhyming text (``waddle, wade, geese parade''), in bold black, beautifully integrated into art created in the process of making paper from pulp dyed in brilliant colors. This time, the child observer is Oriental; and where the first book moved from noon to night, the implicitly suggested cycle here is from tadpole and gosling to ``Chill breeze, winter freeze.'' Another perfect introduction to nature for the very young. (Picture book. 1-6) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
* "The animals and insects that live on and in frshwater pond wiggle, waddle, hover, swoop and swirl through the stunning spreads... Young children are introduced to the basic habits of common North American wildlife and the characteristics of chanigng seasons even as they are treated to an array of zipper verbs." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Another truly stunning picture book from Fleming.... A perfect book for toddlers at story time." --School Library Journal, starred review

* "[A] perfect introduction to nature for the very young." - Kirkus Reviews, pointer
-- Review

Customer Reviews

Life in a Pond.
Using strong alliteration and assonance and colorful paintings, this book introduces children to the lively environment of a pond. Children are often surprised to discover that in the still waters of a pond everything from frogs, geese, dragonflys, swallows, turtles, heron, fish, bugs, and even a racoon live in and around the water. Fleming won a Caldecott Honor in 1994 for the lively illustrations in this book.

Wonderful Work by Denise Fleming!
I like Denise Fleming's In the Small, Small Pond because she brings back memories now of when I was a young child and was learning to read. I can remember this particular book and it's wonderful illustrations. To look at her pictures and read the action words on each page is like really being there. I can imagine the sound of a firefly's wings hovering and the sight of minnows rushing away when something disturbs the water. Her choice in words and pictures together, make this book very easy to understand and hard to forget. I like Fleming's work in The Small, Small Pond because she bases her picture book from a frog's perspective. I think this is a wonderful idea for younger children. It may answer a child's questions about, "What are animals thinking?" This type of response is good for children because it stimulates the mind into wandering, why? Denise puts such a large amount of time in effort into what she does to prepare for a story as well as what she does to make the illustrations come alive. Her careful planning and creative ideas make her books very insightful. I think Fleming contributes to children's education very well. She shows areas such as science and nature in her books. I believe that since she puts so much time and effort into her planning, then authentically contributes to a child's education. In children's literature, she opens the door for imagination. Her illustrations are done by pulp-painting and she is very willing to give ideas and instructions on how to do them yourself. I think this idea is great because it can be inspiration to children who want to be writers or illustrators. She shows there is more to illustrating a story than simply throwing together words and matching them with pencil and crayon drawings. Her creativity is what keeps children interested. Good books invite children to play with new language, give excellent reference points for future understanding and might even open windows to other cultures. I believe that this book fits two of those criteria. In the Small, Small Pond shows young children how other animals prepare for the winter. Children could look at this book and then maybe compare it to some of the animals that are around their homes and remember what Fleming said about tadpoles, minnows and frogs then make connections. Another strong point that Fleming hits is a new way to say some of the words that children might hear every day. When the frog leaps into the water and makes a "splash", a child might think of what a "splash" sounds like. At the same time, a heron "plunges" into the water and then children can compare what a "splash" and a "plunge" sound like either in their head or sound it out. Fleming also allows children to use their imagination. A reader is allowed to see what it's like from a frog's point of view. He travels from the shores of the pond to under the water to learn about what each animal does for preparation for winter. As you can see, I love Fleming's In a Small, Small Pond and recommend it to any lower grades elementary classroom library, or even your own child's library at home!

Nice book
The story was great, the pictures were great. My toddler likes it alot. It's fun reading all the rhyming words to her and great for her short attention span. My only problem with it is that the book itself fell apart after about the third reading. I've had to tape half the pages back together.