Pond

by Jim LaMarche

“A loving portrayal of a never-forgotten connection with the natural world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“It’s a powerful vision of making one’s own wild place, with no special equipment or expenditure required.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

The joy of the seasons, the wonder of discovery, and the appreciation and respect for the natural world is at the heart of this book, drawn from the childhood of award-winning illustrator Jim LaMarche.

When Matt is out for a late winter hike he sees a trickle of water in the old deserted and junk filled dirt pit at the edge of his neighborhood. With quiet appreciation, Matt can imagine the pond that must once have been there, shining in the early spring light, freezing in the winter for skating and the perfect place for swimming in the summer.

Can Matt’s discovery transform a forgotten pond to its natural wonder? With his idea of making the pond whole again, Matt rallies his friends, Katie and Pablo, and together they work through the spring, clearing debris, moving rocks to hold the water, and looking for leaks. But would there be enough water to fill the pond? Can they bring the pond back?

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Environment, Summer, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Jim LaMarche is the illustrator of more than twenty books for children, including Dennis Haseley’s A Story for Bear; The Carousel by Liz Rosenberg; The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed; and Albert by Donna Jo Napoli. He is the author-illustrator of The Raft. Jim LaMarche grew up in Wisconsin and now lives in California.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, the use of color in this book is outstanding. He uses light and color to make beautiful pictures and works of art. 3 children dam up a little stream and create a beautiful pond. We see the pond through a whole year of seasons. Each season has a different aspect of light play on the pond. The kids play around the pond and skate on the pond in the winter. I am blown away by the art of this story. It’s a good story also, but the art has captured me. Warm oranges and light blues with some soft greens to name a few. It is so lovely that I want to go visit this imaginary place, at least I assume it was made up.

I love how the animals interact with the children. The kids feed the geese or watch the birds. They seem like relatively calm kids. Jim LaMarch has a love for nature and it would seem that he loved being outdoors as a child. This is a beautiful ode to nature.

The niece thought it was beautiful and gave the art 4 stars and the story 3 stars. The nephew enjoyed the book, but I don’t think it was up to his quirky standard or action filled so he gave it 3 stars.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly gorgeous, and a terrific testament to the joys of being outside. But good golly, how come the boys sand and repair the boat while the girl paints a dragonfly on the bow? How come the boys fetch stones to make a dam and Katie finds pretty feathers? Why is the girl's role that of discovering and creating beauty - and of using books to help them discern the world around them (for which she gets called "Know-It-All" - super, thanks!) - while the main character boy gets to think about what it all means and the secondary boy character, Pablo, strums a guitar?

Just THINK about the roles you assign, that's all I ask.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple, gentle story about three children who restore a pond to its former natural state. Written and illustrated by Jim LaMarche, it offers some beautiful imagery to go along with its environmental message.

Although the overall look of the book is soft and dreamy, this isn't one of my favourite LaMarche titles. The illustrations are actually rather hit-or-miss for me. Most are fairly distant perspectives, showing people at a distance or in full-body poses. The exception, however, is one beautiful spread that features closeups of the three children's faces, and it's absolutely gorgeous; the expressions are priceless. I'd say the book is worth taking a look at for that illustration alone. Unfortunately, there's really only the one "wow" moment here, so I was somewhat disappointed.

The story itself is very basic. The children remove junk, get the water moving in the right direction again, find a boat, and share their discovery with animals and humans alike. The bit about the heart stone is cute, but I'm not sure it's really enough to save the otherwise threadbare story.

Overall, this isn't one of LaMarche's better works. I think I enjoyed all of the other titles he's written and/or illustrated more than this one. Still, if you're a fan of his work, you'll still want to check this one out. It's still a decent picture book; it just pales in comparison to some of his others.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Matt finds a tiny stream bubbling up out of the ground in the old dirt pit near his home, he has an idea: why not clean up the area, and turn it into a pond? Enlisting his sister Katie and best friend Pablo's help, that's just what he does, and the three children end up enjoying the beauty of their creations throughout the four seasons. The local animals also enjoy the new pond...

Apparently based upon an incident from author/artist Jim LaMarche's childhood, Pond is a lovely picture-book exploration of the beauty of the natural world, and the importance of being responsible stewards of that world. Like The Raft , another of LaMarche's picture-book creations that I have read and enjoyed, the story here emphasizes the importance of outdoor play for young people, and features absolutely gorgeous illustrations. It also imparts an important lesson about the power children have to positively impact the world around them. Recommended to all young nature lovers, to anyone who enjoys beautiful picture-book art, and to LaMarche fans.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved (I'm a big Jim LaMarche fan) It's about three children and their efforts to restore a pond in a natural area near their home. They haul away junk and try to fix the dam. Then, they watch as the miracle of water slowly returns and brings wildlife with it. Published in 2016, this seems like a book from my 80s childhood, and I mean that in the best possible way. It is full of the wonder of nature and the beauty of an unhurried childhood steeped in the outdoors. The artwork is gorgeous and I just wanted to step into every page. The message of conservation and respect for nature is present throughout without being overbearing. I love that it shows children being responsible stewards of the earth and gently but effectively shows that children can make a difference. Highly recommend!

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Lovely story. This one captures much interest.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim LaMarche has long been a favorite illustrator of mine. His pictures are so gorgeous and serene, especially the nature ones. In Pond, Matt discovers a small spring in a damaged area that inspires him to try restoring the pond that once existed. With the help of his friend Pablo, and his sister, Katie, as well as his father, Matt works hard to recreate the pond. And with hard work and dedication, they succeed. I found it delightful to watch the pond come back to life. It was fun spotting the animals as they returned as well as following the kids as they restored an old boat and sailed on the pond. The illustrations I could have stared at for hours. In a book that shows the power of the human will to rebuild what people have damaged, the illustrations stand out as much as the pond does. One of my favorites for the year.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of my favorite books now. I loved reading this and looking at the pictures. This is where I would love for my children to grow up but since we can't live there we can experience it through this book and make our own childhood memories where we do live.....krb 12/14/16

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book about the love of nature & the environment! I sense a Caldecott ! This is an award winning book! Loved it!!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, powerful story superbly illustrated.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated picture book portrays what a childhood summer should be like. The connection with nature and appreciation for it really touched me, probably because it was done in such a natural way, without any sort of socio-environmental or ecological agenda. A group of children determine that a sunken area they frequent must really be a pond. There is a natural spring that should feed it, but any dams and barriers that had been there previously are gone. They spend their summer recreating the pond, and enjoying the pleasures that come with it - wading, boating, watching insects, birds, and animals appear. If only all children had an open area where they could also spend hours in imaginative and wholesome outdoors, instead of in front of a screen, indoors, or even in structured pursuits. This captures a time that seems to be lost to most, when without any demands on their time, children were free to simply explore and create.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful book that celebrates the simple joy of playing in and exploring the outdoors--a rite of childhood that is fast disappearing as digital and scheduled activities take over kids' free time.

Cleaning up and restoring a habitat, as well as observing and appreciating the wildlife it attracts, are major themes. And I'd just like to say how wonderfully refreshing it is to find a picture book set on a body of water that doesn't depict or mention fishing--even in passing. I'm hoping that little by little, the culture is moving toward simply enjoying the world around us without attempting to catch, damage, or harm it.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for the illustrations
3 stars for the story

Read this with Madam and she was NOT thrilled when I first showed it to her, but I reminded her that we don't judge books by their covers ("it looks boring" was her verdict). However, as we read along, she said that it was "really pretty" and then she really started identifying with the character Katie, and by the end she said that I was right (!) and that she really liked it. Yeah.

[Christine (Tina) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and equally beautiful storyline. Ah, to see that imagination come to fruition with school-aged children. It would be nice to see more kids exhibiting a need to connect with nature in an earth-friendly way instead of seeing their faces and fingers menacing with those stinky devices! Yes, I'm a bit of a Luddite!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm resisting the urge to dock those kids a star for making a pond in the first place, haha. We backpackers learn to leave nature alone to do its thing.
That said, this book captures in an unusually sentimental way exactly how it feels to be a kid and to have no sense of time like adults do. Children are blissfully event-time oriented and I ached to be back in that world when I read this.

[Libby In Libraryland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to live inside this book.

[Jordyn Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop it, I love this picture book. (So does my 3.5 year old son). Going down as one of my favorites for the year. The illustrations are detailed, and my sister would say “you can get lost in them” so much to see and rediscover each time you read for an adult and kid. But the storyline? Precious. I’m not over it. Sorta made me want to tear up it was so sweet. Bonus points for being one that so easily ties in to any nature walk / time spent near a pond. Loved the realistic detail in the animals and birds, we had fun spotting king fishers and cardinals.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated story which sparked ideas and inspiration for my kids to be out in nature.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jim LaMarche is indeed a talented illustrator, and you can tell from Matt, Katie and Pablo's adventures and life at the pond that he himself has spent a summer or two by a pond. But when it comes to the actual writing style and story... it leaves much to be desired.

[Gabe Mellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is not about the journey but the friends you make along the way. Ilustrații superbe.

[Johannah]

Beautifully illustrated.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, quiet illustrations invite readers into the story as we follow a boy who explores an empty terrain. He comes upon water bubbling up and has an idea. He recruits his friends Matt and Kate and the three clean up the land, block off the water and form a pond. They fix up an old boat, learn about wildlife and minerals when Kate brings out her books. To celebrate summer’s end, they camp out, to celebrate fall they watch bird migrations, and in winter they ice skate. In spring they climb the nearby hills and discover the ponds true shape—and understand their passion for the pond. Illustrations in acrylics, colored pencils and inks bring a rich outdoor experience into the reader’s heart.

[Misbah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of friends fix up a pond during the summer, helping the water return, creating an oasis for themselves and the animals in the surrounding woods.

Reading this made me want to go camping and exploring. It also made me realize how longs its been since I've seen a natural location like the one illustrated in this book. In recent memory, I've only ever been to artificial ponds or lakes.
But honestly, even if I did find one I wouldn't ever get it. I've read too many medical horror stories to ever be comfortable in a natural pond.

[Kate Matheis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story. Three kids realize that the "pit" used to be a pond They work together cleaning it up and then building a dam so that the dried up pond can form once again. The book then discusses their adventures over the next year at the pond.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures accompany this beautiful story about 3 friends and a pond they help bring back to life. Highly recommend for all ages.

[Mireille Messier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story told with stunning illustration but using, alas, too many words.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about caring for and enjoying nature. Would make a good read aloud for elementary children.

[Benjamin Bookman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book of childhood.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I adore. A simple story of children exploring nature and playing freely.

[Kristin Boot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork but the story was somewhat lacking.