Spring peeper, wood duck, predaceous diving beetle, green darner dragon fly. These and other creatures (and cattails!) are the stuff that poems are made of in Joyce Sidman’s playful, lyrical collection. “Brown velvet plumes / bob jauntily. On command, / our slim, waving arrows / rush toward the sun.” (From “The Season’s Campaign.”) Sidman’s keen-eyed poems offer acute descriptions of a world unto itself as she examines a pond ecosystem across the seasons. Beckie Prange’s hand-colored woodcuts add to the beauty of this lovely volume. (Ages 5–9)

A 2006 Caldecott Honor Book

From spring's first thaw to autumn's chill, the world of the pond is a dramatic place. Though seemingly quiet, ponds are teeming with life and full of surprises. Their denizens--from peepers to painted turtles, duckweed to diving beetles--lead secret and fascinating lives. A unique blend of whimsy, science, poetry, and hand-colored woodcuts, this Caldecott Honor-winning collection invites us to take a closer look at our hidden ponds and wetlands. Here is a celebration of their beauty and their mystery.