In the Small, Small Pond (Owlet Book) (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "In the small, small pond... waddle, wade..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW praised the "stunning" spreads and "zippy" language of this peek at the life of a freshwater pond through the seasons; a Caldecott Honor book. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1998 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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805059830
• ISBN-13: 978-0805059830
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,695 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life in a Pond., March 5, 2002

By	tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: In the Small, Small Pond (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Work by Denise Fleming!, November 29, 2005

By	jh63145 "jh63145" (Boone, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Small, Small Pond (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)

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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice book, November 17, 2001

By	Lisa (United States) - See all my reviews

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.