Over and Under the Pond

Starred review from February 20, 2017
As day turns to night, a boy and his mother take in the sights above and below their rowboat in this contemplative follow-up to Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. Messner’s elegant narrative, written from the boy’s perspective, creates an intimate connection with the setting (“Over the pond we drift, heads tipped up to the sun. A woodpecker clings to a teetering pine, digging for ants”), and Neal’s milky mixed-media images examine the pond and its inhabitants—moose, painted turtles, ospreys, and others—from virtually every angle, soaring high above the water and down into its depths to dazzling effect. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House.

The author-illustrator team that brought readers into the garden and under the snow (Over and under the Snow, 2011, etc.) now takes them on a breathtaking journey beneath the calm waters of a pond.Though the surface of the water seems calm, it is teeming with life, as a small black boy and his mother discover during an afternoon row. This book is another artistic triumph for Messner and Neal, whose perfect marriage of prose and pictures creates a lush, watery world filled with color and brimming with activity. Each double-page spread, done in a soothing palette of greens and blues, reveals the pond to be a vibrant and rich habitat where fish, amphibians, animals, and birds lay eggs, build nests, store food, and otherwise engage in the cycle of life. Each illustration focuses on a creature that lives either above or below the pond's surface, and the child protagonist's sense of wonder is mirrored by the author's evocative prose. The events of the book occur within the space of one day, and as afternoon fades into evening, the yellows of the flowers and pink of the sky give way to night-blue in an arresting symphony of color. Well-researched backmatter provides inquisitive readers with additional information about the creatures they see. A magical artistic and informational world that readers will delight in visiting again and again. (Informational picture book. 4-8) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2017

K-Gr 4-Messner and Neal have followed up on their proven formula (Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt; Over and Under the Snow), this time focusing on the ecosystem of an Adirondack pond at twilight. While a woman and boy in a canoe are seen at various points admiring the pond, the wildlife and plants are the real characters of this story, beautifully illustrated in mixed media. Neal captures minute details that will have readers easily recognizing specific species. With descriptive verbs and the use of onomatopoeia, Messner's prose is both playful and lovely to read aloud, and the slow close of the day and early night depicted make this an ideal bedtime book. An author's note, an "About the Animals" section, and a list of further reading bump up the age of potential readers, as even older budding naturalists will find something to enjoy here. VERDICT Librarians can confidently purchase this title for elementary schoolers.-Courtney Lewis, St. Catherine's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.