IN THE SMALL, SMALL POND

Denise Fleming’s Caldecott Honor book is a field guide to the pond for the youngest reader and viewer. Her pictures, created from her hallmark papers, brightly depict various creatures in spirited, yet typical postures. Her words describe the actions and are positioned on the page to further explain the meaning of each. As narrator, Laura Dern takes this one step further and matches her speed and inflection to both the word and the creature’s action. A crescendo rises with the activity in and around the pond as the seasons change and fades to the sl-o-w beat of hibernation. Animal sound effects complement the text. Look carefully for the frog as you listen to the action near the pond! A.R. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]