Reviews
Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 5-Seasons set the stage for this celebration of the diverse life of ponds. The book begins with the poem, "Listen for Me," in which spring peepers wake from their winter hibernation and sing out, "Listen for me on a spring night,/on a wet night,/on a rainy night./'¦Listen for me tonight, tonight,/and I'll sing you to sleep." The melodic verse continues through summer with a cumulative poem that highlights the food chain of a pond, cattails in all seasons, and late fall when a painted turtle settles into the mud. Sidman employs several poetic forms, such as haiku and rhymed and unrhymed verse, and varied line structure, and her arrangement of the 11 poems is natural and exact. Each one is accompanied by a paragraph that provides scientific information about a specific creature, plant, or aspect of pond life. Prange's woodcuts are a natural accompaniment to these poetic compositions. The dark lines naturally contrast against watercolor hues that reflect the changing seasons. Beginning with subtle pastel shades of spring, tones gradually deepen through the lush colors of midsummer and conclude with subdued earthy browns and violet sunsets of early winter. Perspectives in illustrations shift from one poem to another, providing a unique depiction of the life below the water, on shore level, and in the surrounding reeds and trees. An organic union of poetry and science, this book encourages readers to ponder the minutiae and magnificent life of the natural world. -Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. , With its unique combination of fact and fancy, this book is bound to delight pint-sized scientists and environmentalists -and language lovers, too., This remarkable collection of Sidman's (The World According to Dog) poems about the flora and fauna found in wetland areas also occasions the book debut for naturalist and printmaker Prange, whose artwork recalls the grace and narrative finesse of Mary Azarian. The poems and hand-colored woodcuts combine whimsy with naturalistic accuracy, and crystal-clear side-bars filled with enough factual oddities to intrigue young readers provide ideal accompaniment. For instance, two almost-identical water bugs-the water boatman and the backswimmer-trade stanzas in the title poem as if they were yeomen on a 19th-century schooner: "Yo, ho, ho,/ the pond winds blow/ and upside down is the way to go." Nonetheless, the rhythmic ballad informs readers about the differences and similarities between the two insects without sounding the least bit didactic. "In the Depths of the Summer Pond" neatly creates a "House That Jack Built" explanation of the underwater food chain. Each denizen of the pond is closely observed in both art and text, which brim with intriguing characterizations and vivid imagery. Separated into four "movements," "The Season's Campaign" chronicles the cattails in springtime, which "burst forth,/ crisp green squads/ bristling with spears," while in summer, their "brown velvet plumes/ bob jauntily." Prange's illustration features a sky tinted with subtle shades of blue and lavender with a "red-winged general" (aka blackbird) circling the fall cattails whose "courage/ clumps and fluffs/ like bursting pillows." With its unique combination of fact and fancy, this book is bound to delight pint-size scientists and environmentalists-and language lovers, too. Ages 5-10. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. , In this strikingly illustrated collection, science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the seasons., An organic union of poetry and science, this book encourages readers to ponder the minutiae and magnificent life of the natural world., "In this strikingly illustrated collection, science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the seasons." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review "With its unique combination of fact and fancy, this book is bound to delight pint-sized scientists and environmentalists -and language lovers, too." Publishers Weekly, Starred "An organic union of poetry and science, this book encourages readers to ponder the minutiae and magnificent life of the natural world." School Library Journal, Starred "Sidman and Prange go beyond accuracy and clarity; with a humor born of skillful observation and light and color worthy of the Impressionists, they capture the essence of this environment in all its fascinating particularity." Horn Book, "In this strikingly illustrated collection, science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the seasons." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review "With its unique combination of fact and fancy, this book is bound to delight pint-sized scientists and environmentalists --and language lovers, too." Publishers Weekly, Starred "An organic union of poetry and science, this book encourages readers to ponder the minutiae and magnificent life of the natural world." School Library Journal, Starred "Sidman and Prange go beyond accuracy and clarity; with a humor born of skillful observation and light and color worthy of the Impressionists, they capture the essence of this environment in all its fascinating particularity." Horn Book, *Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. In this strikingly illustrated collection, science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the seasons. Focusing on one pond creature or plant per spread, Sidman employs many poetic forms, including austere haikus and rollicking sea shanties, and her fine selections are both accessible and sophisticated. Younger children may need help with the science allusions, although accompanying prose paragraphs will give some background; many poems integrate the science beautifully, particularly a marching, cumulative selection about the pond web of life. Some poems burst with sweet, joyful noise, such as the sounds of a duck family's first spring swim: "Peek, peek, / water sparkling! / Deep breath, / leaping, leaping. / Splash down." Others bring haunting immediacy to abstract concepts such as hibernation: "No more bugs / and basking. Last breath, last sight / of light and down I go, into the mud," says a turtle. Throughout, plants and animals come alive in the bold woodcut prints, reminiscent of Mary Azarian's work, which are hand-colored in watery blues and lily-pad green. A glossary of science terms closes this elegant, inspiring volume, which teachers will use across the curriculum. Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved , In this strikingly illustrated collection, science facts combine with vivid poems about pond life through the seasons." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review "With its unique combination of fact and fancy, this book is bound to delight pint-sized scientists and environmentalists —and language lovers, too." Publishers Weekly, Starred "An organic union of poetry and science, this book encourages readers to ponder the minutiae and magnificent life of the natural world." School Library Journal, Starred "Sidman and Prange go beyond accuracy and clarity; with a humor born of skillful observation and light and color worthy of the Impressionists, they capture the essence of this environment in all its fascinating particularity." Horn Book, Sidman and Prange go beyond accuracy and clarity; with a humor born of skillful observation and light and color worthy of the Impressionists, they capture the essence of this environment in all its fascinating particularity.