Frog Heaven: Ecology of a Vernal Pool [Hardcover]

Doug Wechsler (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

This title takes you on a journey to frog heaven. If you're walking in the woods, you can tell that winter is changing into spring by the riot of sound that fills the air. The quacking, piping, and creaking that you hear are the sounds of frogs singing their love songs. Follow those sounds and they may lead you to a vernal pool. A vernal pool is a special pond that's just right for frogs, salamanders, and other animals. The ecology of the pool is special, too. That's what makes it frog heaven. With fascinating facts and stunning photographs, Doug Wechsler takes young readers to a vernal pool in a forest to show how wood frogs, treefrogs, salamanders, and other creatures survive and thrive.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–This thoroughly researched book introduces a vernal pool in the woods of Delaware and documents the ecology of this unique habitat during the cycle of a year. Beginning with autumn, clear, detailed chapters focus on each season, describing physical changes to the pond (from dry, to wet, to ice-covered, to wet again), the creatures that breed and live there (including many types of insects and amphibians), and plant life. Throughout, Wechsler highlights the ways in which various species are interrelated and their role in the food web. The last section discusses the importance of these pools and how to prevent them from being destroyed. The full-color photographs vividly bring this environment to life by combining images of the changing pond with close-up pictures of its varied inhabitants. –Christine Markley, Washington Elementary School, Barto, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* This handsome book looks closely at a vernal pool: a forest pool that dries up at the end of each summer and gradually fills with water again during the fall, winter, and spring. Naturalist-photographer Wechsler offers a close-up view of a vernal pool in Delaware as it cycles through a year. Focusing on one animal after another, he shows not only the variety of life supported by the pool but also the complex, interconnected ecosystem that depends not just on the pool but upon the fact that it dries up annually. This cycle limits the animals the pool can support and creates an environment where certain species thrive, unthreatened by fish or by the year-round presence of certain other predators. Each of the first four chapters considers a season and the changes it brings to the pool and inhabitants, while the final chapter discusses the preservation of vernal pools. From a close-up of salamanders in their jelly-covered eggs to a composite picture with superimposed lines showing the pool's food web, Wechsler's clear, color photos provide an excellent visual counterpoint to the text. This well-focused book will open readers' eyes to an ecological feature they may have seen without recognizing.The book concludes with a glossary and a list of recommended books and Web sites. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590782534
• ISBN-13: 978-1590782538
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,345,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ages 8-12 will appreciate the lovely pairing of unusual forest photos with the frog and animal views, December 9, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frog Heaven: Ecology of a Vernal Pool (Hardcover)

FROG HEAVEN: ECOLOGY OF A VERNAL POOL offers a fine pairing of photos and text by author Doug Wechsler, a naturalist and wildlife photographer whose focus on a vernal pool in a forest demonstrates how wood frogs and others survive. Ages 8-12 will appreciate the lovely pairing of unusual forest photos with the frog and animal views and discussions of small wildlife natural history.