From Publishers Weekly
Toting nets and buckets, a group of children spend a hot day wading through a pond, searching for an elusive amphibian, and discover that nature offers numerous other rewards. Jordan's (co-author of Chuck Close: Up Close) subtle hand-tinting of her splendidly detailed photographs heighten the beauty and intrigue of the setting without distancing it from reality. Slightly bleached tones convey the languid heat and reflective light of the summer sun. The opening and closing spreads show the expanse of the watery habitat, but most of the photographs are close-ups of a gossamer insect teetering on a reed, a plump muskrat sliding through glassy, rippling water, and finally the frog evading its pursuers (who later catch and then release it) in a radiant landscape of green and yellow hues. Jordan's short, simple sentences make a strong impact, even as the voice wavers between the cadence of a child ("All day long we look and look. We hear frogs' croaking voices. Where can they be?") and a more sophisticated lyrical style ("A school of minnows silvers the waters" an apt articulation of what is perhaps the most remarkable photograph, a full spread of the tiny fish). This powerfully evocative book strikes just the right balance between adventure story and a reverie of a much savored nature retreat. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-On their way to catch a frog, a group of children observe a muskrat, minnows, and fish in a pond. The quiet, large-type text uses simple vocabulary and pictures to support its descriptions of the site and observations about the creatures. Hand-tinted photographs capture the glare of the summer sun and show how difficult it can be to see wildlife in the pond when it blends into its surroundings. But by day's end, the children catch their frog, and after a quick look at it, return it quickly to its natural home. Endnotes tell facts about kettle ponds, which developed from glaciers that left behind depressions in the earth. This easy-to-read title is more encompassing of pond life in general than Alex Vern's Where Do Frogs Come From? (Harcourt, 2001).
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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