What do you think?
Rate this book
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond?
Dive into the fascinating world of beavers—the swimmers, builders, and engineers of the animal kingdom!
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? takes kids ages 8 to 10 on a journey through a year in the life of a young beaver (called a "kit"). This is an exciting year as the young beaver leaves her family lodge and moves throughout the Yokun Brook waterways, seeking a new home for herself. Throughout the seasons, vibrant illustrations and descriptions reveal the hidden inner-workings of a beaver lodge, how beavers fell trees with their teeth and create a wetland habitat, how they collect food and ward off predators, and what daily life is like within a beaver colony. Educational side panels enhance the story with details about beaver behavior and anatomy, as well as information about what other animal inhabitants of the pond are up to throughout the year. Author Becky Cushing Gop is an environmental educator and director of Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary where the story takes place. Nature illustrator Carrie Shryock’s lively and charming graphics bring the young beaver’s story to life for nature-curious kids.
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? takes kids ages 8 to 10 on a journey through a year in the life of a young beaver (called a "kit"). This is an exciting year as the young beaver leaves her family lodge and moves throughout the Yokun Brook waterways, seeking a new home for herself. Throughout the seasons, vibrant illustrations and descriptions reveal the hidden inner-workings of a beaver lodge, how beavers fell trees with their teeth and create a wetland habitat, how they collect food and ward off predators, and what daily life is like within a beaver colony. Educational side panels enhance the story with details about beaver behavior and anatomy, as well as information about what other animal inhabitants of the pond are up to throughout the year. Author Becky Cushing Gop is an environmental educator and director of Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary where the story takes place. Nature illustrator Carrie Shryock’s lively and charming graphics bring the young beaver’s story to life for nature-curious kids.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2023
57 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 21, 2023
During our evening walks, my husband and I often visit what we call the “Beaver Pond.” It is an oasis for all sorts of wildlife. We see a variety of birds, and we occasionally see deer. Every now and then, a beaver will make its existence known by raising its head above water and swimming away from us. I knew very little about beavers except that their presence is an indication of a healthy ecosystem, so when I saw “What Goes on Inside a Beaver Pond?” featured on NetGalley, I requested it immediately, and I was not disappointed. It is a wonderful book with beautiful illustrations and great information. I have a much better understanding of beavers and how they live, along with other cohabitating wildlife. The only disadvantage of the book for me is that it is set in a northern climate, but the habitat and species are similar enough. Thank you to Storey Publishing for providing a review copy. I loved it so much that I immediately pre-ordered a hard copy, as it inspired me to begin collecting nature-oriented children’s books.
February 8, 2023
Thank you, Storey Publishing, for the advance reading copy.
This is such a comprehensive illustrated account of how beavers live, how they divide their community into different groups, their unique traits and characteristics on how they survive.
The content is just perfect and provides enough information.
Perfect for ages 8 to 10. The book is a pure delight.
This is such a comprehensive illustrated account of how beavers live, how they divide their community into different groups, their unique traits and characteristics on how they survive.
The content is just perfect and provides enough information.
Perfect for ages 8 to 10. The book is a pure delight.
July 22, 2023
Very informative book, I enjoyed this book.
Filled with the wonders of the beaver.
I enjoyed how it was filled with facts and had a story as well.
I would recommend.
Filled with the wonders of the beaver.
I enjoyed how it was filled with facts and had a story as well.
I would recommend.
May 28, 2024
A great book for kids and adults alike! So many beaver facts with lovely art
September 22, 2023
Incredible book full of information about beavers and their habitat throughout the seasons. Beautiful illustrations too!
April 17, 2023
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond is a must read for children and adults alike.
Being from New Zealand my children and I have never seen a beaver, nor are we overly familiar with the concept of them but I believe they are now our favourite animal.
My 8yr old was enthralled by the infographic aspects and comic book style elements. He couldn't get enough of the information and was desperate for us to read slower so he could spend more time taking in the pages.
My 4yr old was delighted by the artwork and all the other animals we encountered on the way, many new to us.
I found this book informative but entertaining, The storyline was sweet and I love how it moves through the seasons.
The information was displayed well and it made reading easy. I will now start spurting off random beaver facts to all the other New Zealanders before pointing them in the direction of this book.
I was gifted a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Being from New Zealand my children and I have never seen a beaver, nor are we overly familiar with the concept of them but I believe they are now our favourite animal.
My 8yr old was enthralled by the infographic aspects and comic book style elements. He couldn't get enough of the information and was desperate for us to read slower so he could spend more time taking in the pages.
My 4yr old was delighted by the artwork and all the other animals we encountered on the way, many new to us.
I found this book informative but entertaining, The storyline was sweet and I love how it moves through the seasons.
The information was displayed well and it made reading easy. I will now start spurting off random beaver facts to all the other New Zealanders before pointing them in the direction of this book.
I was gifted a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 21, 2023
A year in the life of a two-year-old beaver is the story frame in the nonfiction picture book What Goes On Inside a Beaver Pond? by Becky Cushing Gop, illustrated by Carrie Shryock (Storey Publishing, September 2023). During this year, she leaves her childhood lodge in the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary along the Yokun River (a real place in Massachusetts) to begin her adult life in her own pond downriver. Each spread in the picture book highlights essential facts or possible challenges a young beaver would face. Occasional sidebars on the edge or bottom of the spreads give additional facts about other creatures that live in the beaver habitat, making the book a helpful educational narrative for learning about this unique wetland habitat.
Comic-like box panels show the details of a challenge the beaver faces, with text narration to clarify how she survives. For example, on one two-page spread, the main text in a black bar says that the beavers must prepare for the next winter, and the general background shows beavers swimming in the pond. Overlaid on the background are box panels that show detailed illustrations and narration showing the steps as the beavers begin by digging and tunneling in the bank of the pond to build a lodge.
Although the majority of the picture book focuses on a beaver’s body, abilities, habits, diet, and specific needs, the entire beaver pond habitat is highlighted. In both the explanatory narrations and in the helpful sidebars, we learn about other animals that live in the habitat, including predatory mammals, friendly mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and even some macroinvertebrates (bugs!) that are all an important part of the ecosystem.
Most importantly, in my opinion, we see the influence of humans on the beaver’s environment, with illustrations showing how human pollution and building have impacted the pond animals, specifically once the river has left the sanctuary. I learned from the sidebars explaining good and bad culverts for rivers to tunnel under roads, and the illustration of the beaver walking across the street (because she couldn’t travel through the narrow culvert) made me feel a bit uncomfortable as I thought of all the road kill I’ve seen in my own area! What types of culverts does the creek by my house provide for the animals?
The broad range of information in What Goes On Inside a Beaver Pond? makes it a highly valuable information book, not just for people interested in beavers but also for anyone interested in the wetland habitat. Realistic illustrations emphasize the nonfiction aspect of the book, and the unique layouts on the pages — including the general background, detailed box illustrations, and sidebars — make it engaging.
The author’s note at the end emphasizes our need to ask questions and be curious of the world around us. Her book both answers some of our questions and leaves the door open to our asking more as we see how so many aspects of nature are connected.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Comic-like box panels show the details of a challenge the beaver faces, with text narration to clarify how she survives. For example, on one two-page spread, the main text in a black bar says that the beavers must prepare for the next winter, and the general background shows beavers swimming in the pond. Overlaid on the background are box panels that show detailed illustrations and narration showing the steps as the beavers begin by digging and tunneling in the bank of the pond to build a lodge.
Although the majority of the picture book focuses on a beaver’s body, abilities, habits, diet, and specific needs, the entire beaver pond habitat is highlighted. In both the explanatory narrations and in the helpful sidebars, we learn about other animals that live in the habitat, including predatory mammals, friendly mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and even some macroinvertebrates (bugs!) that are all an important part of the ecosystem.
Most importantly, in my opinion, we see the influence of humans on the beaver’s environment, with illustrations showing how human pollution and building have impacted the pond animals, specifically once the river has left the sanctuary. I learned from the sidebars explaining good and bad culverts for rivers to tunnel under roads, and the illustration of the beaver walking across the street (because she couldn’t travel through the narrow culvert) made me feel a bit uncomfortable as I thought of all the road kill I’ve seen in my own area! What types of culverts does the creek by my house provide for the animals?
The broad range of information in What Goes On Inside a Beaver Pond? makes it a highly valuable information book, not just for people interested in beavers but also for anyone interested in the wetland habitat. Realistic illustrations emphasize the nonfiction aspect of the book, and the unique layouts on the pages — including the general background, detailed box illustrations, and sidebars — make it engaging.
The author’s note at the end emphasizes our need to ask questions and be curious of the world around us. Her book both answers some of our questions and leaves the door open to our asking more as we see how so many aspects of nature are connected.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 9, 2023
Book Review: What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond?
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? by Becky Cushing Gop is an adorable and informative children’s book that takes young readers on a captivating journey into the fascinating world of beavers. Aimed at kids aged 8 to 10, this book offers a delightful exploration of a year in the life of a young beaver, known as a “kit.”
The story follows the young beaver as she leaves her family lodge and embarks on a quest to find a new home within the Yokun Brook waterways. Throughout the changing seasons, vibrant illustrations and vivid descriptions provide readers with an intimate glimpse into the hidden workings of a beaver lodge. From witnessing how beavers fell trees with their teeth to create a wetland habitat, to learning about their food collection techniques and their strategies for warding off predators, readers are immersed in the daily life of a beaver colony.
One of the highlights of this book is its educational side panels, which supplement the narrative with additional information about beaver behavior and anatomy. These panels offer valuable insights into the world of beavers and enhance the reader’s understanding of these remarkable creatures. Furthermore, the book also includes interesting details about other animal inhabitants of the pond, providing a broader perspective on the ecosystem and its interconnectedness.
Author Becky Cushing Gop, an environmental educator and director of Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, brings her expertise and passion for nature to this book. Her storytelling is engaging and accessible, effectively conveying complex concepts in a way that young readers can easily comprehend. The illustrations by nature illustrator Carrie Shryock are lively and charming, capturing the essence of the young beaver’s journey and bringing it to life for nature-curious kids.
Visually pleasing with colorful graphics and unique fonts, What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? is not only packed full of interesting facts, but these facts are seamlessly integrated into the narrative. The comic book-style layout adds to the book’s appeal, making it visually engaging and captivating for young readers.
In conclusion, What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? is an adorable little book that is both educational and entertaining. With its vibrant illustrations, well-integrated facts, and captivating narrative, it is sure to appeal to young nature lovers. Whether it’s as a gift or for personal enjoyment, this book is a wonderful way to introduce children to the wonders of the natural world. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? by Becky Cushing Gop is an adorable and informative children’s book that takes young readers on a captivating journey into the fascinating world of beavers. Aimed at kids aged 8 to 10, this book offers a delightful exploration of a year in the life of a young beaver, known as a “kit.”
The story follows the young beaver as she leaves her family lodge and embarks on a quest to find a new home within the Yokun Brook waterways. Throughout the changing seasons, vibrant illustrations and vivid descriptions provide readers with an intimate glimpse into the hidden workings of a beaver lodge. From witnessing how beavers fell trees with their teeth to create a wetland habitat, to learning about their food collection techniques and their strategies for warding off predators, readers are immersed in the daily life of a beaver colony.
One of the highlights of this book is its educational side panels, which supplement the narrative with additional information about beaver behavior and anatomy. These panels offer valuable insights into the world of beavers and enhance the reader’s understanding of these remarkable creatures. Furthermore, the book also includes interesting details about other animal inhabitants of the pond, providing a broader perspective on the ecosystem and its interconnectedness.
Author Becky Cushing Gop, an environmental educator and director of Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, brings her expertise and passion for nature to this book. Her storytelling is engaging and accessible, effectively conveying complex concepts in a way that young readers can easily comprehend. The illustrations by nature illustrator Carrie Shryock are lively and charming, capturing the essence of the young beaver’s journey and bringing it to life for nature-curious kids.
Visually pleasing with colorful graphics and unique fonts, What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? is not only packed full of interesting facts, but these facts are seamlessly integrated into the narrative. The comic book-style layout adds to the book’s appeal, making it visually engaging and captivating for young readers.
In conclusion, What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? is an adorable little book that is both educational and entertaining. With its vibrant illustrations, well-integrated facts, and captivating narrative, it is sure to appeal to young nature lovers. Whether it’s as a gift or for personal enjoyment, this book is a wonderful way to introduce children to the wonders of the natural world. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
June 8, 2023
Their teeth never stop growing?
True. Although Alaska does have beavers, I have to admit to knowing little about them other than that they gnaw down trees and build dams. As a result, it was eye-opening to find out about this amazing creature. As for their teeth, that's one of the reasons they seem driven to gnaw on trees. It's rather the beaver way of keeping their mouth healthy.
You'll pick up lots of info on not just beavers but the wildlife about them. Even cooler, the story doesn't strictly focus on beavers but gives us information on these other creatures, too, not to mention "sound bubbles" illustrating how each might sound were we to encounter them in the wild. The various tracks of each are also shown, usually in a different panel.
I won't detail all the interesting things I learned but will say, wow, being a beaver is obviously pretty much a life of constant work. They prepare for each coming season in advance, meaning it's pretty much a cycle of life for them. The steps involved in building their lodges and dams to keep the water level high enough to allow them to live safely and snugly in their lodges is neverending. Cut-away views show us the insides of these lodges, btw, and they not only have air holes and exit/escape tunnels, but they're actually built on more than one level. Wow, multi-level homes. The entire beaver family works together to create this masterpieces of lodging, with each generation eventually moving on to create their own lodge elsewhere, an experience we follow.
This just touches the surface of what's inside. The illustrations are lovely and eagle eyed readers can spy various other wildlife as well as the layout of the land and waters about them. One thing the book did address, albeit briefly, is that while it certainly can't be 100%, many of the tree stumps left behind by the beavers fervent gnawing and search for food and materials to build their complex homes do eventually begin to twig out and start the growing cycle once again. So, destructive, yes, but perhaps not to the extent we imagine.
Bottom line, an excellent look at the beaver and the environment that surrounds this intriguing creature. Thanks #NetGalley and #StoreyPublishing for introducing me to a critter that while it shares my state, I've never seen in the wild. Had no clue how complex, not to mention exhausting, their lives must be.
True. Although Alaska does have beavers, I have to admit to knowing little about them other than that they gnaw down trees and build dams. As a result, it was eye-opening to find out about this amazing creature. As for their teeth, that's one of the reasons they seem driven to gnaw on trees. It's rather the beaver way of keeping their mouth healthy.
You'll pick up lots of info on not just beavers but the wildlife about them. Even cooler, the story doesn't strictly focus on beavers but gives us information on these other creatures, too, not to mention "sound bubbles" illustrating how each might sound were we to encounter them in the wild. The various tracks of each are also shown, usually in a different panel.
I won't detail all the interesting things I learned but will say, wow, being a beaver is obviously pretty much a life of constant work. They prepare for each coming season in advance, meaning it's pretty much a cycle of life for them. The steps involved in building their lodges and dams to keep the water level high enough to allow them to live safely and snugly in their lodges is neverending. Cut-away views show us the insides of these lodges, btw, and they not only have air holes and exit/escape tunnels, but they're actually built on more than one level. Wow, multi-level homes. The entire beaver family works together to create this masterpieces of lodging, with each generation eventually moving on to create their own lodge elsewhere, an experience we follow.
This just touches the surface of what's inside. The illustrations are lovely and eagle eyed readers can spy various other wildlife as well as the layout of the land and waters about them. One thing the book did address, albeit briefly, is that while it certainly can't be 100%, many of the tree stumps left behind by the beavers fervent gnawing and search for food and materials to build their complex homes do eventually begin to twig out and start the growing cycle once again. So, destructive, yes, but perhaps not to the extent we imagine.
Bottom line, an excellent look at the beaver and the environment that surrounds this intriguing creature. Thanks #NetGalley and #StoreyPublishing for introducing me to a critter that while it shares my state, I've never seen in the wild. Had no clue how complex, not to mention exhausting, their lives must be.
October 4, 2023
Well the charming, realistic visual qualities of this year-in-the-life-of-a-beaver book are there for all to see, so it was a disappointment to see the book break itself up into comic book pages with box-outs, side-panels and other layout ideas. What's more, the captions for the comic pages are white on black, and while they have made more work for the artist it doesn't feel as romantic and atmospheric and as natural as it might have. We follow a young female beaver, still living with her parents and siblings at the start, but with no room in the lodge due to more siblings arriving, she finds it time to strike out and fend for herself.
What happens is a way for the author to portray her movement throughout her trek and beyond, as well as people the beaver stream with the birds and other critters the beaver will have been aware of – and that we might see or hear evidence of if we go investigating ourselves. All this is fine, and well done, making the non-fiction quite the story without making too much of a character of any creature. I just wish there had been a way for this much detail in some other format, without the fussy, busy-seeming pages and all they try to get across at once. With some of the captions serving the panels both above and below them, the reader's eye is as busy as a beaver, when something more serene and beautiful was what I expected. Still four stars, mind, for my personal tastes do not diminish the talent and authoritative telling on show here.
What happens is a way for the author to portray her movement throughout her trek and beyond, as well as people the beaver stream with the birds and other critters the beaver will have been aware of – and that we might see or hear evidence of if we go investigating ourselves. All this is fine, and well done, making the non-fiction quite the story without making too much of a character of any creature. I just wish there had been a way for this much detail in some other format, without the fussy, busy-seeming pages and all they try to get across at once. With some of the captions serving the panels both above and below them, the reader's eye is as busy as a beaver, when something more serene and beautiful was what I expected. Still four stars, mind, for my personal tastes do not diminish the talent and authoritative telling on show here.
February 26, 2025
I appreciate that the inside cover of this book acknowledges that pleasant Valley, where the book takes place, is the ancestral homelands of the Mohican Nation, and that they were forced from their home. The book starts in April and follows a young beaver over the course of the year. Many of the pages in this book look like a comic book or graphic novel with panels and gutters, while other pages have a search-and-find vibe; I love that the book presents information in different ways. I really enjoy the illustrations and all the information provided, especially the information about other animals that live in the beaver pond. The frogs on page 16 "quack" which I found odd; I have never heard a frog's noise described as a quack before. I also was confused when one page starts with "at nightfall" and then when you turn the page it reads "later in the afternoon"; are the pages out of order somehow? In two different places the book tells us that aspen, willow, and birch trees are the ones beavers prefer to eat; in a book with this much text, I do not want to read the same thing more than once. Ultimately, I think this book has so much text that it would be best for older children but I did really like it.
August 29, 2023
Beaver Pond is a comprehensive, substantial look at beavers and their habitats. I particularly appreciate the length; each two-page spread is filled with a detailed illustration. Black text boxes hold a narrative for one female beaver's life through four seasons, while sidebars provide introductions to other flora and fauna in beavers' proximity. Furthermore, captions within the illustrations identify or explain those animals and their behavior. Even with all these offerings, the pages are neither crowded or overwhelming. And that is why the length is ideal - information is spread out logically and comfortably for the reader without sacrificing content or level of detail. Readers at all levels will be engaged because of this format. Whether a pre-reader is learning from the rich illustrations, a listener is following Ms. Beaver's journey, or an older reader is poring over every inch of page, Beaver Pond offers something for everyone, including an invitation from the author to observe wetlands first hand.
Beaver Pond is enthralling and beautiful. It is everything I hoped for an more (with the exception of sighting a real, live beaver in nature).
Beaver Pond is enthralling and beautiful. It is everything I hoped for an more (with the exception of sighting a real, live beaver in nature).
May 22, 2023
"The beaver's favourite trees are birch, willow and aspen."
A beaver is an animal that I haven't really researched before. But I did learn a thing or two by reading this book. I didn't know that their teeth don't stop growing, they must have real bad teeth and jaw ache all the time. The book follows beavers throughout the year and you see how they adapt with each season. You learn how they build there dams, chewing down trees, starting a family and learning to get away from predators.
I enjoyed that the book didn't focus fully on beavers, but also other animals that live in the area. I loved the illustrations throughout I thought they were beautiful. This is a book that both adults and children will enjoy. The only thing I would improve would be to include a bit more on the negative impact of what a Beaver does and not just focusing on the positive. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book to give to my nephews, who I know is going to love it.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book for an honest review.
A beaver is an animal that I haven't really researched before. But I did learn a thing or two by reading this book. I didn't know that their teeth don't stop growing, they must have real bad teeth and jaw ache all the time. The book follows beavers throughout the year and you see how they adapt with each season. You learn how they build there dams, chewing down trees, starting a family and learning to get away from predators.
I enjoyed that the book didn't focus fully on beavers, but also other animals that live in the area. I loved the illustrations throughout I thought they were beautiful. This is a book that both adults and children will enjoy. The only thing I would improve would be to include a bit more on the negative impact of what a Beaver does and not just focusing on the positive. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book to give to my nephews, who I know is going to love it.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book for an honest review.
August 10, 2023
A young beaver’s journey, leaving her family’s lodge and striking out to find her own home range, is exquisitely captured in captivating images and fact-filled descriptions. Detailed full-page landscapes, rendered in a soft palette of naturalistic colors, form the backdrop for close-up, comic-style panels. Brief san-serif text-blocks describe the action, including a wealth of informative detail about beavers and the other animals that inhabit their ecosystem. Sounds are represented, even the occasional beaver fart. A smattering of full-page spreads broadens the perspective – giving readers sweeping aerial views and cross-section sneak-peeks. The book’s depth and detail invite close observation and encourage curiosity. Thanks to Storey Publishingand NetGalley for a digital arc in return for an honest review.
August 14, 2023
The cycle of the beavers' activity aligns with the cycle of each year in the Wildlife Sanctuary. Clearly demonstrated is the building and maintenance of the lodge within their normal habitat. There are also a sidebar with illustrations of other woodland animals and birds along with a sentence or two about them. There are even bits about the anatomical parts that are most important and what they are used for. This book is simply amazing!
The illustrations by Carrie Shryock are incredibly clear, nearly realistic and vividly colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Storey Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
Massachusetts Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, USA
The illustrations by Carrie Shryock are incredibly clear, nearly realistic and vividly colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Storey Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
Massachusetts Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, USA
September 6, 2023
I read this book to my school children a couple of days this week for our science class. They love this way of doing science, when we all cuddle up on the couch and read a book. The pictures in this book are amazing! They are full of detail. Some pages have one scene and show the beaver swimming through an area, with short explanations of the various things she sees. Other pages have many small boxes with pictures of various scenes or other wildlife, and explanatory sentences. Both types of pages have so much detail that you could spend a lot of time studying them. This is a very interesting book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
September 6, 2023
Spend a year with some busy beavers as they emerge from their lodge in the spring, and do all that they need to survive, and prepare for another winter.
This is an amazingly informative book with incredible illustrations by Carrie Shryock that are detailed, and done in a graphic novel style that is sure to hold a youngster's attention. The many insets make for an exciting reading experience, and reminded me of watching a fine nature documentary.
A perfect book for older children, or anyone interested in learning more about nature and animals.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the read.
This is an amazingly informative book with incredible illustrations by Carrie Shryock that are detailed, and done in a graphic novel style that is sure to hold a youngster's attention. The many insets make for an exciting reading experience, and reminded me of watching a fine nature documentary.
A perfect book for older children, or anyone interested in learning more about nature and animals.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the read.
May 21, 2023
This is an engrossing book about beavers. The illustrations are amazing and show what the inside of a beaver's home looks like. The book takes us through the seasons in the life of a beaver family and how one of the offspring goes about finding a new place to create a dam. The only fault I found with the book is that it does not show how destructive beavers can be. It explains how they build dams and chew down trees, but does not address the environmental effects of that. I do recommend purchasing the book for your library as students will enjoy the illustrations and easy to understand text while they learn about the life cycle of beavers. I read a digital copy of the book on NetGalley.
October 4, 2023
Beaver pond is a picture book with a difference. It has so much detail and information which can be devoured over days. The illustrations really highlight the information in the text.
The readers will learn about life cycles and habitats of beavers. There are facts for both children and adults to learn. It is a treasure trove of information with both scientific information as well as information about nature. The book talks about many other animals that live in the area, not just beavers.
Definitely recommend for teachers, my children really enjoyed learning about Beavers, especially as they had never seen one in real life.
The readers will learn about life cycles and habitats of beavers. There are facts for both children and adults to learn. It is a treasure trove of information with both scientific information as well as information about nature. The book talks about many other animals that live in the area, not just beavers.
Definitely recommend for teachers, my children really enjoyed learning about Beavers, especially as they had never seen one in real life.
April 15, 2023
My daughter has been absolutely obsessed with beavers since we saw them at the Detroit Zoo. This book was beautifully laid out and descriptive. We’ve read it every night and she’s begun to be able to point out the things she’s learned along the way. I love that it’s set up like a comic book but also has asides for things like anatomy and special information. The author also included other animals that beavers encounter and how they interact in the environment, which has kicked off a whole forest life mini study for our nature-based homeschool. If your kids love animals, this is a must read.
May 3, 2023
This book has now made us all love beavers! This book is so informative, yet in such an enjoyable way! The pages are comic like - which was so fun for my 7 year old boy to look at! Such a unique and fun way to tell a story.
It was an incredible read, to be able to learn more about beavers, their dams, and the habitat they live in. I would say the age range is 7-10 for this book. I even learned many new things that I had no idea about, which as a parent is fun to take-away things from the books we read to our children. This is a great addition to have for animal/science lessons!
It was an incredible read, to be able to learn more about beavers, their dams, and the habitat they live in. I would say the age range is 7-10 for this book. I even learned many new things that I had no idea about, which as a parent is fun to take-away things from the books we read to our children. This is a great addition to have for animal/science lessons!
November 13, 2023
This is a book targeted toward later elementary, but I think that is an overestimation. My four year old (she's the one who picked it off the shelves) really enjoyed looking through the pages and pointing at the animals that she recognized. There are a lot of facts on each page that help you to simply talk about what's going on in the pictures with younger kids. There are also several pages that young kids can trace a stream or the beaver's path with their fingers. Overall, I think it is a great book to talk about pond ecosystems with kids in a wide age range
February 18, 2023
A wonderfully illustrated look inside the life of a beaver. My son and I enjoyed reading this together and discovering new to us facts.
I love the add ons on each page that can expand older children and adults curiosity and learning.
This would be a great addition to any classroom and a great resource to assist during a learning module about beavers. I throughly enjoyed this read!
Thanks to Net Galley and Storey Publishing for the advanced copy.
I love the add ons on each page that can expand older children and adults curiosity and learning.
This would be a great addition to any classroom and a great resource to assist during a learning module about beavers. I throughly enjoyed this read!
Thanks to Net Galley and Storey Publishing for the advanced copy.
May 31, 2023
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. This wonderful book is packed with rich detail on the lives of beavers and other forest animals. It’s a treasure trove of information, a book to be studied. There is so much learning and maker potential in this book. I can’t wait to add a copy to my library. There are levels of learning for younger and older elementary students. This is a great addition to any science or nature collection.
March 19, 2023
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond is a fun but still educational book which has great illustrations to accompany the information. It is aimed at 8 to 10 year old children but my son who is only 6 loved it and took a lot of information from it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for my ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for my ARC.
April 4, 2023
This was an interesting, educational book all about beavers. It goes in to detail about how they build their dam's, the foods they eat, how they store for for winter ect. Great facts, well done illustractions, I love that it doesn't solely focus on beavers but also the animals that are found in their habitat.
August 8, 2023
This book is part story but all non-fiction. It’s a year-long look at the life of a beaver from childhood to starting a family of their own. It covers not just the topic of beavers, but any one or event that affects the lifecycle of a beaver, including polluted water, the other animals, habitat, change, etc. Overall, it’s a well done book that will find a long life on Library shelves.
August 28, 2023
I adore this book. I have the National Geographic Busy Beaver book, and this one is an excellent companion to that. In fact if you do not have either, I would probably chose this one. I loved the sidebar that had facts and drawings about other animals that the Beaver might encounter, and the story of the Beaver who goes off on her own is exceptionally endearing.
It is a perfect blend of informative, artistic delight, and fun to read.
I would read other books in this style in a heartbeat, and include them in my homeschool classroom. Please write more of these! I can’t wait to read them.
It is a perfect blend of informative, artistic delight, and fun to read.
I would read other books in this style in a heartbeat, and include them in my homeschool classroom. Please write more of these! I can’t wait to read them.
February 14, 2023
This fun, nonfiction factoid book is perfect for any kid who loves animals, science, and/or learning. It’s perfect for elementary school aged kids and keeps their attention pretty well. Even as an adult, I learned new things about beavers I never knew.
July 30, 2023
What Goes on inside a Beaver Pond? is a good guide to learn about beavers, their habitat and how they live, learn and grow in their environment.
This will teach the children and make them interested in animals and nature.
This will teach the children and make them interested in animals and nature.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews