Review by New York Times Review
A little owl forays out of the nest in this charming book with only four words on most pages. But pay attention: It's a reverso poem, the kind that reads the same forward and backward. Godwin, a co-author of the Doll People novels, has the owl glimpse himself in a pond ("owl sees owl") before he, and the words, turn back. Dunlavey's ("The Dandelion's Tale") lovely art marries midnight blues and bright fall leaves, making this a rare nighttime adventure that's both restful and playful. FARAWAY FOX By Jolene Thompson. Illustrated by Justin K. Thompson. 32 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 7) What starts as a sad tale of a young fox wandering a newly built neighborhood, separated from his family by a highway, becomes an uplifting story of humans helping wildlife adapt to shrinking habitats. Turns out the "strange creatures" are digging a tunnel under the road to a wildlife preserve. There the fox and his kin joyfully reunite. The art is warm and modern, and an author's note explains efforts to build more such crossings in this country, welcome news for kids disturbed by roadkill. POND Written and illustrated by Jim LaMarche. 40 pp. Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) When Matt sees a spring bubbling out in a place called "the Pit," he tells his sister, Katie, and a friend, Pablo, "I think the Pit was once a pond!" They dam it up and haul away junk. Grown-ups help, but this is a story about kids who make something good happen. It's immensely satisfying to see them create a little paradise, with fish, wildlife, even a boat they fix. With soft acrylic and pencil art evoking an idyllic mood, LaMarche ("Albert") finds the shimmering hint of magic in the natural world. GIANT SQUID By Candace Fleming. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. 32 pp. Neal Porter/Roaring Brook. $18.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) We have fewer photos of giant squid - creatures that swim deep in our oceans - than of the surface of Mars, and this clever book renders their mysteries thrilling and creepy. How fast are they? Where are their babies born? The Caldecott medalist Rohmann's art reveals only bits of its subject until a stunning gatefold gives a fuller, if still tantalizingly incomplete, view. Fleming makes the beast's odd anatomy truly monstrous: its "bone-hard and parrot-like" beak, its eyeballs "big as soccer balls." THE TRAGIC TALE OF THE GREAT AUK Written and illustrated by Jan Thornhill. 46 pp. Groundwood/ House of Anansi. $18.95. (Middle grade; ages 8 to 11) Extinction stinks, as any dinosaur lover knows. But it's also complicated, and in the case of the great auk, humans are not entirely to blame. There's also the creature's flightless wings and clunky feet. Thornhill gracefully melds history and science, offering both detail and wit, as well as stirring illustrations that convey both the vast scale of oceans and the delicate patterns on an auk egg. There's even a happy ending of sorts as she shows how the auk's plight gave birth to modern conservation. ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [November 13, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
The lush double-spread cover depicting a habitat for birds, deer, rabbits, and children signals that the titular pond is a special place. The opening endpapers show a dank location outside a city, cheerless and lifeless. But young Matt discovers there might be more to the pit, and along with a diverse group of friends, he removes trash, creates a dam, and brings a pond to life. While something valuable is found in the dirt (a piece of blue quartz), the illustrations highlight other treasures: young people playing music, restoring an old boat, and luxuriating on a raft. LaMarche (Winter Is Coming, 2014, with Tony Johnston) utilizes a soft palette of acrylics, colored pencils, and opaque inks in warm earth tones with lots of yellow and blue. While the book notes the passing of seasons, the final end pages show an idyllic world in spring, a reminder of new possibilities. Pair with Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander's This Is the Earth (2016) for another look at nature and the role of children.--Ching, Edie Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Stories about nature often feature disappearing wildlife and dwindling habitats, but LaMarche (Winter Is Coming) shows how nature can rebound. Matt realizes that the little spring bubbling up through a trash pile near his house might once have been a pond. He asks his friends Katie and Pablo to help him clean it up and dam the flow. As water begins to pool up behind their homemade dam, birds and animals appear. Canada geese used to pass overhead in the fall, but now "hundreds of them would fly down and rest on our pond." In LaMarche's spreads, the children-Matt and Katie are white, and Pablo appears to be Latino-are often viewed from a distance enjoying the paradise they've made, drifting on the water in a wooden dinghy, camping with Matt's father in the fall, and skating in the winter. The combination of children, water, trees, and birds offers many scenes of richness and wonder, and LaMarche's detailed artwork captures it in sharp focus. It's a powerful vision of making one's own wild place, with no special equipment or expenditure required. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Like LaMarche's earlier titles, this one is an incredibly beautiful depiction of nature and all of its wonder. A story about renewal and changing seasons, this is the tale of Matt, a boy who sees potential in a small spring in an abandoned lot. Seeking the help of his sister and his friend Pablo, the young conservationist gets to work. Eventually, with the support of their parents, the children turn the trickle of water into a wonderful sanctuary for animals and people alike. This is a truly marvelous offering about our influence on nature and its influence on us. It is a celebration of all things natural in this world. The gentle text is highlighted by extraordinary, detailed illustrations. This selection is sure to fascinate readers young and old. VERDICT A lovely addition for most library collections, this gorgeous book will enchant and inspire.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Matt, his sister, and his best friend turn an abandoned place called "the Pit" back into the woodland pond it used to be; his first-person narrative lends intimacy to the distinctive story. The large and handsome acrylic, colored-pencil, and ink art evokes a sense of wonder with LaMarche's portrayal of the pond, the wildlife, and the children enjoying nature throughout the year. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
