In the Small, Small Pond

by Denise Fleming

Award-winning author/illustrator Denise Fleming gives young readers a frog’s eye view of life in a pond throughout the seasons in the Caldecott Honor Book, In the Small, Small Pond .

A child explores the wonders of the natural world in this rhyming, beautiful bright colored picture storybook about the lives of small animals and insects living around a freshwater pond.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Nature, Storytime, Science, Poetry

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Denise Fleming has written and illustrated many children’s picture books, including In the Tall, Tall Grass, Shout! Shout It Out!, and Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy. She won a Caldecott Honor for In the Small, Small Pond. Denise creates her colorful illustrations by pouring colored paper pulp through hand-cut stencils. She lives in Toledo, Ohio.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/denise...
http://www.simonandschuster.com/autho...

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A colorful beginning book about a pond. Each page has 3 to 4 words on it. We are shown the life of a pond cycle. The artwork is very colorful and bright. It’s a good mood book.

The niece rolled her eyes at this. It’s too young for her and she is tired of these young books. The words rhyme, but the nephew couldn’t read all the words. He needed help. The niece gave this 1 star and the nephew was sort of bored to and he gave this 2 stars.

I graduated high school the year this was published. That is such a strange thought.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unembellished, but massively verbally engaging, the onomatopoeic pond sounds of Denise Fleming's simple but lyrical verses are not only delightfully entertaining (and thus a joy to pronounce out loud by both children and likely even adults reading In the Small, Small Pond with and to children), they also descriptively and colourfully depict and present basic pond life and diverse animal behaviours (all the while improving vocabulary and in particular promoting more descriptive verb choices). And while the illustrations are perhaps a bit vague and washed-out in appearance (although they do become increasingly clear at a distance) they nevertheless gracefully and flawlessly mirror the general colour schemes of a pond community and the different modes of animal movement, of the direct and straightforwardly poetic lyrics, providing an evocatively bright and lively visually pleasing accompaniment (and furthermore, for children who enjoy searching for hidden images, there is also a vividly depicted green frog located on each illustrated spread of In the Small, Small Pond, mostly very easy to locate, although the image of the frog in the whirligig illustration did take a bit of time for me to discern). Highly recommended for both in-class and at home use, and a fun introduction to a pond ecosystem for the very young (and although I would have wanted and needed some supplemental material, and especially a list of books for further reading, study and research, this is not really all that necessary for In the Small, Small Pond and perhaps even should be somewhat beyond its scope and basic concept, but still it certainly would have been personally appreciated as delicious icing on the proverbial cake). And finally, and bit off topic perhaps, but I do tend to consider it both amusing and also somewhat frustratingly, maddeningly ironic that some, that actually quite a number of (mostly adult) reviewers have rated In the Small, Small Pond very low simply because there is no plot. But really and truly, this book neither requires nor even really should have a specific storyline, as In the Small, Small Pond is for all intents and purposes just a fun onomatopoeic celebration of pond life and the diverse animal sounds that exist there, that can be heard (and of course with the depicted animals, also the fauna that can be seen and experienced) in a pond environment. And yes indeed, not every book needs or even should have a specific storyline and plot, you know!

[Latise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book that teaches students about their environment and animals that are found inside of a pond. This book could also be used in a cross-curricular activity in teaching rhyming words. I would place this book in a variety of learning centers including science and reading.

[Agnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple, rhythmic, and bright-colored celebration of a pond life through the seasons:

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author and Illustrator:
Denise Fleming is an American Author who primarily writes for young children and she is the writer and illustrator of the book In the Small, Small Pond.
In the book "In the Small, Small Pond" the aothor used a unique perspective from a frog point of view and the pictures are colorful and tell a story of their own.
Personal Response to the Book:
This is a great to book to teach rhyme. There are lots of sound words that kids could read them together with teachers.
This book also used a fun way to teach the life cycle of a frog.
Evaluation of Educational Purpose:
This book is essentially a poem with simple, clear language. I would like to use this book to kindergarten kids.

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am quickly becoming a Denise Fleming fan. Just like in Pumpkin Eye, In the Small Small Pond is more of an expression of experience and feeling rather than a play by play story.

Fleming has a unique style to both her writing and her illustrations. The use of simple, rhyming prose in her books is effective and engaging. This is a fantastic book to read aloud to toddlers and small children. The illustrations are bright and stylized, creating a unique texture to the story.

Books for Kids

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations lead the way to an action packed, in-depth adventure of life in a small seemingly static pond. This is another caldecott honor book worthy of the accolades.

Packed with images of jumping frogs, wiggling tadpoles, honking, waddling geese, dragon flies who beat their wings rapidly, while the turtles sleep and the herons quickly snap their beaks into the water hoping to have a lunch of frog meat.

The images are different than most in that they seem bold and almost brash. The artist used colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils which created a very dramatic effect.

[Betty Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caldecott honor
* Book Summary
This books all the different types of creatures that live in a pond and what they do.

*Awards
Caldecott Honor book

* Grade Level/ Interest level
K-2nd

* Appropriate Classroom Use
When learning about Ecology

*Student Who Might Benefit From Reading
All students

* Small Group Use
I would ask students to analyze all the living things in the pond

* Whole Class Use
I would use this book as an introduction to an Ecology unit

*Related Book In Genre
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems

*Multimedia Connections
N/A

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very colorful illustrations! I like them a lot. Young readers would enjoy looking for the frog in each picture. This reminds me of another Caldecott Honor, Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman, only for much younger readers.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the use of language and rhyme in this simple picture book about animals in a small pond. The illustrations are bright and colorful. I love the illustration of the raccoon and I like the heron and the turtles.

[Christabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this for summer reading with my littles. They love it! It’s rather short, but the lively pictures, the frog that follows every page, and words that twist along the page make it delightful for my preschool bunch!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vibrant and rhythmic text dances through papercut illustrations of a season on the pond. Great read aloud. Must read/see.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little story about animals that live in a small pond.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my storytime favorites! It’s full of action words that build vocabulary. Looking for the frog in each double-page spread keeps little audiences engaged. A bright, beautiful book.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

What appears at first glance as a very simple picture book, is actually more sophisticated than meets the eye. In the very first spread, a child watches a frog leap into a pond. The reader is drawn to the frog based on the gaze and expression of the child figure. From there, we can follow the frog from page to page as we meet each form of wildlife that lives in or near the pond, and experience the cycle of the four seasons, ending in Winter, when the frog settles into hibernation. My favorite illustration, no question, is on the spread where the text reads “circle, swirl, whirligigs twirl” because the frog, floating in the water, is nearly hidden. I knew to look for him, since he’s on every other page, and the payoff was great when I finally found him. I also really like the alliteration on the page about the crabs. The hard C sound imitates the sound of their cracking claws and makes the crabs on the page seem almost alive. This is definitely about to become a new favorite in my story time repertoire!

Read at Baby/Toddler Story Time on 3/13/12: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Delaney Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is clear that Denise Fleming put a lot of thought into the juxtaposition of the words and the illustrations of "In the Small, Small Pond". Each page has 2 words on it with an illustration that fills the whole page. The book describes what happens in a pond. The words describe actions of each animal found in this pond. Each page has a sense of rhythm to it, with words that rhyme, alliterate, or just sound silly together. Having rhythm makes the book more enjoyable to read with such a little amount of words.

The illustrations are brightly colored and clearly show what is happening in the pond. The diction of each page might be hard for young children to understand, but the illustrations go hand in hand with the words to show the children what is happening in the pond. The illustrations, as well as the words, move left to right across the page. This makes the reader want to keep going to follow the trails of each animal. As you flip through the pages, there is a small frog on each page that is watching so many big things happen in such a small pond.

This book was very enjoyable to read and young students would find a lot of joy while reading this.

[China Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Small, Small Pond explains what one would find in the environment that is around and beneath a pond. An unnamed boy character starts off by looking around the small pond and discovers many animals! There are so many creatures that live around a pond. There are ducks, frogs, turtles, fish and more!

The illustrations look like cut paper. They are very interactive. The colors incorporate many simutaneous color contrasts with high to mid tone saturations. There are a significant amount of cool colors, which connects with the natural environment. The use of diagonal lines really adds to the movement that is being portrayed with the different animals. This book teachers young readers about nature and how it works. The language is simple, describing how the animals move and interact. Some of the letters even shift in response to their movement. This Caldecott honor winning book is a good read that I recommend.

[Sydney Chassion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
This book is a verbally engaging about a pond and it's inhabitants. Denise Fleming used descriptive, colorful words and sounds to depict the basic life pf a pond. She describes diverse animal behaviors with interesting verb choices, and her direct word choice provides a bright and lively insight to the world of this little ecosystem.

Evaluation:
This wasn't my absolute favorite book, but I would recommend it for in-class and at home use as a tool to work on reading fluency and phonological awareness. It had a fairly simple plot and rather average content, but I would still recommend it to my students.

Application:
This is a cute book that could easily be used to teach students about their environment and animals that can be found inside a pond. This text could also be used in a cross-curricular activity, such as teaching rhyming words. If I were to use this book in my classroom, I would likely implement it in a variety of learning centers including science and reading.

[Tiffany Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute frog takes the reader on a journey through the pond. The frog "jumps" from page to page showing the reader what goes on in the pond during different seasons. The amazing thing about this book is that the entire book is one sentence.

This is a colorful and fun book to read to children. I love all of the tier two words within the text. The students will learn about pond life and parts of speech in an engaging way.

Other books to read that connect with In the Small, Small Pond:
In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
Pond Circle by Betsy Franco

"In the small, small pond wiggle, jiggle, tadpoles wriggle..."

This is a great mentor text that could be used to discuss parts of speech such as verbs and adverbs. The students can practice writing verbs that really "sparkle" just like in the book instead of more commonplace words or tier one words.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ages: 2 - 5

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[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book to read aloud. The illustrations are bright, blotchy and bold while the narrative is simple, yet helps to build vocabulary.

The alliteration and rhyme make it fun to read aloud. Our girls enjoyed this book, taking turns reading each page. We've read this one a couple of times.

This book was selected as one of the books for the November 2016- Caldecott Honor discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Small, Small Pond is a colorful picture book that gives readers a frog's-eye-view of how seasons change in a pond. The text on each page is on average only four words that follow a rhyming pattern, like "splitter, splatter, minnows scatter". The author, Denise Fleming, is also the book's illustrator, and she created the illustrations by pouring colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils. The result is images that remind readers of an Eric Carle book. This is a very quick read, and I think a great introduction or review of the seasons for ages 3-7. Winner of the 1994 Caldecott Honor Book, In the Small, Small Pond was a delightful book that I would recommend for all.

[Alicia Tavernier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book that holds the Caldecott honor award, is a pretty decent book. This book also shows nature in a friendly way and introduces young readers to the ecosystem of a pond that many may have not experienced before. This book also is a starter for rhyming. I believe children would find this book very silly and experience enjoyment of reading it out loud in class. I gave this book four stars out of five stars because of the simplicity of the book, as well as how it introduces rhyming.

[SamZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1994 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: The dragonfly page.
A fun little book that uses rhyme and onomatopoeia words to tell about the different animals that live in a small pond. The illustrations aren't my favorite, but they do fit with the tone of the book. I especially love that the frog is in each picture, giving young children something 'extra' to look for.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are the first thing I noticed in this book! They are full of color! This story uses some rhyming words such as wiggle and jiggle! I really like how the words on the pages aren't lined up like in most books. I like how they are tilted and slanted. This would be a really cool book to show younger children! They would like all of the colors and animals!

[Robert Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice illustrations...simple narrative. Children will enjoy the lively creatures and simple text.

[Sabrina Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction
Denise Fleming is an American Author who primarily writes for young children and she is the writer and illustrator of the book In the Small, Small Pond. This book is a sequel to another book by Denise Fleming called In the Tall, Tall Grass. This book uses clever rhyming schemes and similar words that allow for a fun but focused experience. The illustrations are done in an unusual and unique way, that draw the reader in. In the Small, Small Pond was published in 1994 and it was a Caldecott Honor book for all its unique artistic elements.

General Description
In the Small, Small Pond it tells the story of all the animals and events that occur in and around the pond in a year span. The book starts out with a child who seems to be playing in the pond and a frog diving into the water. The frog swims all over the pond giving the reader glimpses of what the animals and insects do that live around the pond. As the frog swims and walks around the pond the colors of the book change with his progress and all the animals he sees. The pond seems to be a little bigger then a small small pond, as there are animals and insects ranging from frogs, geese, turtles, minnows, ducks, muskrats, and more. All the animals we see are preparing for winter as the seasons change, like the muskrats begin packing and stacking, and the ducks start moving along. When the frog comes to the end of exploring the pond the whether seems to have changed to winter and this is the time for the frog to bury himself down in the ground and sleep, as he has gone through all the seasons in a year.

The layout of this book is very simple, but has many unique elements to it. The illustrations take up two pages and the text plays along. The illustrations have the same concept that stretches from the right page to the left page, as if it is all one big canvas. The text in this book is scattered throughout the page as if it is part of the illustrations. This book has a playful and colorful layout that lacks proper and common style, but uses the fun and eventful ideas to make the book interesting and helps draw the reader in.

Text Elements
This book uses a lot of rhyming and words that are very similar and like a tongue twister. On pages 17 and 18 it says “Sweep, swoop, swallows, scoop.” This page uses words that all start with the same letter and use similar sounds. The first three words all start the same letter and all three of them have the same second letter. When reading it similar sounds are repeated and then this creates a pattern. The second and the forth word are the rhyming words and this is a theme that goes throughout the book.
This book has a smooth flow from the repetitive language and rhyming theme. The flow not only comes from the rhyming in the book, but the layout and the repetitive writing style. Since the illustrations usually take up two pages with the same theme each page usually has two words on each page, but that does not include the first two pages and the last page.
The writer really applies a creative element to the book through the words that they use and how they set up and write their text. On pages 1 and 2 there is a cheerful feeling of excitement and wonder that can be seen in the childs face, but also the text. It can be seen in the text because the first words are just the title which have already been read, but with an ellipses at the end. It says “In the small, small pond…” This being added at the end it creates curiosity and wonder and the reader wants to venture farther into the book to find out what happens next.
The mood of this book is something that is left up to the reader to decide as the book goes through so many changes and with change comes new feelings. On pages 5 and 6 it makes you feel joyful because of the language used. It says “ Waddle, wade, geese parade.” The fun words used create a joyful setup and shows that the environment the book takes place in is a happy setting and puts the reader into a joyful mood, because the characters are given joyful characteristics and actions.
The last page of the book is where the book makes a connection with the audience. It says “ cold night, sleep tight…” This is something that anyone can relate to because it gives us a glimpse of the end of the season, but seems like the end of the day and allows time for relaxation. At this point the reader might feel as if it is time for them to settle down and do as the frog is doing.

Authors craft
Denise Fleming was born in Toledo, Ohio on January 31 in 1950. When she was older she majored in illustration and graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While in college she met her Husband David and after she had graduated she had a daughter in 1979 and named her Indigo. She had collected many pictures books in her life and once her daughter was born she found that she was reading them daily. This is when Denise started to experiment with writing and illustrating picture books, as she believed it was something she was meant to do. She tried many different styles of illustrating and writing, until she found her own. She then found that her style is writing in terse verse and doing her illustrations with pulp paintings. In 1991 She published her first book using her newly found style In the Tall, Tall Grass which was published by Henry Holt and Company.
Denise is well known for her fun and creative language in her books and they are always well recommended. Some examples are,
"A terrific story-hour book. As day turns to night, a caterpillar crunches and munches his way through the tall, tall grass...Besides a treat for eyes and ears, this can be used as an introductory nature lesson."--Booklist, starred review
Singling out the "array of vibrant verbs and boisterous onomatopoeia" and the "kaleidoscope effect" of the textured paper collages, PW called Caldecott Honor artist Fleming's caterpillar safari "ideal for sharing with young explorers." Ages 2-6. - Publishers Weekly
“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.” - Kikrus Reviews

Style and Medium
The illustrations in this book are with pulp paintings which is a surrealism style. Pulp painting is done by taking a cotton rag and suspending it in water with color being poured through the hand cut stencils onto a what usually is a window screen. This is what turns into paper and the paper is what becomes the picture. Her style leans more towards being surrealistic because she creates a fantasy world with color and shows wonder and imagination. This is seen through the way she uses colors and applies hints of different colors in unique places.

Illustrative Elements
Shape plays a major role in this book and can be seen throughout all of the illustrations. Curved edges which demonstrates life, nature and organic feel while reading. This book is all about being outside and experiencing nature and the lives of animals and insects. on pages 15 and 16 there are a bunch of curved lines and circles. On these pages the pond is filled with circles within circles as if the water is moving. The insects on the page have curved bodies along with being placed inside the circles in the water. There are also what seems to be lily pads on this page that have curved edges leading into soft and not overly pointed tips. Overall this page as a calming feel and gives off a feeling of being in nature.
This book uses many colors, but on every single page in the book blue and green is present. The blue is used for the water and the sky that surrounds the page and gives a calming and soothing feel during the story. The green is used in so many ways, but it always gives a settling and balanced feel. Both these colors represent nature and relaxtion throughout the book and can be seen on the main character who is a frog and that on every page he interacts with the different blues and greens. A great page that shows this is on pages 27 and 28. These two pages have a lot going on and is a major change in the book. There are two blues one that is dark and representing the water and one that is light to represent the cold sky. The greens in this case are also dark and deep, as well as light and bright for the frog. The two colors still stand for their original meanings but in this case it feels that if the darker versions of the color represent stability. These two pages have more colors to offer as it is a page that has hints of pink and purple in the water, as well as orange and yellow to show the change of seasons and create a more dynamic shift in the story.
The text and the illustrations work together well, because the text is not in a traditional layout but it part of the illustrations. On pages 13 and 14 this shows how the text can be part of the illustration. On the right page the frog is diving into the water with his feet sticking out and splashing. The splashes in the picture are in all directions going aways from the water, but have a diagonal feel. The text in this page is doing the same as the is the splashing water, moving at an angle and creates a look that feels as if the words are being splashed out of the water as well.
There is not distinct character development in this story, but there is development in the frog as he changes from the beginning of the story to the end because the weather changed and this can be seen through the illustrations. The text does not describe the length of the story and that is where the illustrations are needed. It shows how the frog travels through the pond and then spends time on land. When there is illustrations of the frog and animals on the land those are the illustrations that show the seasons changing from one to another. On pages 23 and 24 is a good example of the season changing into fall, because in the picture there are leaves that are orange and yellow falling to the ground. It can also be noted that the frog is out of the water which shows that during certain times of the year the frog spends more time on land rather than in the water and vice versa.
This book has a ton of texture on every single page which makes the illustrations truly come to life. This can easily be seen on pages 9 and 10. The shells of the turtles show how the different stencils that were used overlapped to create a three dimensional feel. The ground that the turtles are standing on has texture from the different shades of brown used and the speckles of light brown sprinkled over the dark brown parts of dirt.
The illustrations in this book go from top to bottom and from one end to another, as one image takes up two whole pages. On pages 11 and 12 there is an illustration of a heron. One part of the herons body is on the left page while the other half is on the right page. Even with the split/fold in the middle it is simple to tell that this is all one illustration. The way that both pages are used makes the illustration larger and creates a better picture for the reader to look at and experience.
The depiction of characters in this book is spot on, and that is why the text does not always say exactly what is on the page. The illustrations of the animals and insects who are the characters of the story have a realistic feel but in an artistic way. Nothing has an immense about of detail, but everything has a lot of color and life to it. On pages 7 and 8 it is a picture of the frog and three dragon flies. The dragonflies are mixed with two colors for their bodies, but their wings are light and have colors that blend with their surroundings. The use of color on the dragon flies bodies make them stand out and come to life, but at the same time the colors on their wings hold them back and keep them blended in to show they are part of the environment they are in.

Illustrators craft
Denise Fleming is also the illustrator and she uses pulp painting for all of her books. Denise has a true love for pulp painting and she says “Papermaking for me is cathartic. Part of the appeal is that it's very physical—toting buckets of water, beating large quantities of pulp, hand mixing huge vats of color…It's wet, messy, and wonderful. I haven't picked up a brush or a colored pencil since I discovered papermaking.” She is known for her use of color and unique style of art that easily pulls the reader in and creates a story of its own.
Her unique and creating artistic style that has been highly praised and is said to be a must see and is always receiving positive comments and reviews like,
"Bold, bright, stylized illustrations capture eye and imagination as they convey the simple, rhyming text of this outstanding nature tale."--School Library Journal
“Filled with vibrant colors and patterns, Fleming’s illustrations are peopled with a multicultural cast of rosy-cheeked, wide-eyed preschoolers with huge mouths open wide to shout. Created by pulp painting, which is a method of making paper by pouring colored fibers through stencils, here complemented by paper collage and a variety of drawing media, the artwork begs return examination.”--Kirkus Reviews

Read Aloud
I read this book to two of my younger sisters one of them is four and the other is eight. While reading this book I felt that I knew the flow of it and how it should be read. It is a book that she be read aloud, but in order for it to be read at its best I had to read it multiple times before I read it to them. The reason for that is because of the rhyming and use of words that we don’t hear everyday. While I read the book my four year old sister falls in love with it. While I read her eyes were wide and she kept pointing out all the animals she knew and the pretty colors that surrounded them. This book truly engaged her into conversation and she was wanting to read it again and again, so that she could see the animals and hear the funny words. My eight year old sister wasn’t as thrilled as out younger sister, but she said it was enjoyable and she caught onto the rhyming pattern fast. She told me that as I read each word she would try to figure out other words that rhymed with the words on the page. Its seems that over all both my sisters enjoyed this book but my younger enjoyed it a little more.
I believe that this book is a great book and the major reason for that is because of the illustrations and the fun use of uncommon words. At first the text seemed a little simple and like all the work was put into the illustrations, but then it grew on me and I feel the text is a vital aspect in the success of the story. I would definitely read this book in my early childhood level class, based on the language and how the overall book is set up and definitely after my four year old sisters reaction. I do believe though that older children can get something out of this book either through the rhyming that occurs or the unique art style.


Conclusion
Overall this book is a freeing book, that allows the reader to experience the world of the small small pond through the frogs eyes. The book introduces young readers into the lives of animals and insects, and the wildlife world. This book not only uses the great concept created to grab the readers attention but also uses the simple, but fun and uncommon words that allow children to think and understand the use of the words they don't hear on a daily basis. Along with the text and concept the book truly relies on the illustrations that allow the reader to fully understand and explore the wildlife world around them. This book has so much to offer and is most definitely a conversation starter for younger readers, as they get the opportunity to explore life through a book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Denise Fleming's, "In the Small, Small Pond," readers follow a curious frog through the pond to learn about different animals living there. With bright and interesting illustrations, readers learn about tadpoles, dragonflies, herons, muskrats, and more. This is a rhyming books that doubles as a fun informational books about different animals found in ponds.

I remember looking through this book in my classroom as a child and how much I loved the pictures - this still holds true. The illustrations make me want to stare at the book forever and the fun rhyming words introduce new vocabulary to readers. It was also a fun game of "hide and go seek" with the frog.

I would connect this to other books about animals and their habitats, as well as rhyming books.

This is a great mentor text for writing poetry - I would use to give examples about writing about nature, animals, or what we see. I would also use this as a way to show different ways to align text on a page, since words are found sideways, diagonal, or up in the air. This is great for showing students how to use their words in an interesting way, especially when pairing it with illustrations.

[Linda (bythebellbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated, rhythmic journey through a pond as the seasons change. Denise Fleming introduces young readers to the bustling life of a pond, where frogs leap, ducks dabble, and turtles snap. The text is simple but lively, making it perfect for toddlers, while the vibrant illustrations pull kids into the world of nature. Fleming masterfully captures the wonder of a small pond full of life, all from the perspective of a curious frog.

How to Make the Most of This Book:

🐾 Animal Movements: While reading, encourage children to act out the animals in the pond. Can they wiggle like tadpoles or swoop like swallows? It’s a great way to bring the story to life and burn some energy!

🌦️ Seasonal Exploration: Discuss how the pond changes with the seasons. What do the animals do in the spring versus the fall? It’s a fun way to introduce the concept of seasonal cycles and how nature adapts.

💦 Pond Art: After reading, have kids create their own “small, small pond” scene using paints or craft materials. They can fill it with the animals they met in the story and explore their own creativity.

[Jordan Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Small Small Pond is a very primary award winner written by Denise Fleming. This is a very easy reader. It is the story of what and who a young child sees when visiting the pond. From turtles and frogs to minnows and ducks, the child sees a lot. The book elaborates animal and pond life using adjectives to describe them.

This book contains the literary element of repetitive pattern. The colors are bright and vibrant and artistically it is attractive to a child’s eye. The pages are full of colors, and the different forms of life in the pond. There are only a few, large words on each page. The words are placed all over the pages, and look like they are moving.

I would rate this book with 4 stars, because it is an early reader that children can relate to. It increases vocabulary at the same time, and it is full of really colorful pictures. There are a lot of different adjectives and verbs that may be introduced to readers for the first time, but with the use of the illustrations and context clues that may be able to understand them.