Pond

Starred review from June 20, 2016
Stories about nature often feature disappearing wildlife and dwindling habitats, but LaMarche (Winter Is Coming) shows how nature can rebound. Matt realizes that the little spring bubbling up through a trash pile near his house might once have been a pond. He asks his friends Katie and Pablo to help him clean it up and dam the flow. As water begins to pool up behind their homemade dam, birds and animals appear. Canada geese used to pass overhead in the fall, but now “hundreds of them would fly down and rest on our pond.” In LaMarche’s spreads, the children—Matt and Katie are white, and Pablo appears to be Latino—are often viewed from a distance enjoying the paradise they’ve made, drifting on the water in a wooden dinghy, camping with Matt’s father in the fall, and skating in the winter. The combination of children, water, trees, and birds offers many scenes of richness and wonder, and LaMarche’s detailed artwork captures it in sharp focus. It’s a powerful vision of making one’s own wild place, with no special equipment or expenditure required. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from July 15, 2016
Matt, his sister, Katie, and his best friend, Pablo, revive a pond in the woods and enjoy it throughout the seasons. Gorgeous, softly colored illustrations add to the magic of this remembered experience. Done in acrylics, colored pencil, and opaque ink and accurate in their nature detail, they fill each double-page spread. Before and after scenes on the endpapers reveal the neighboring suburbs and city beyond, but, except for Matt's first venture out of his yard before the title page, the artist concentrates on the pond: its discovery, cleaning and rebuilding, the weather, the bugs, the old rowboat, the birds, and the joys of being in and around the water. Katie collects feathers to make the necklace she wears throughout the summer, reads about the creatures they encounter, and shares what she's learned. A grand, wordless spread looks down on the children enjoying their pond, inviting readers into this idyllic world. There's a campout to end the summer, skating in the winter, and a slim plot involving a heart-shaped piece of blue quartz. Matt and Katie are white, and Pablo has darker hair and skin; these are the Wisconsin children of the author-illustrator's childhood. (Is it the adult artist painting the pond on the final page?) A loving portrayal of a never-forgotten connection with the natural world. (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Like LaMarche's earlier titles, this one is an incredibly beautiful depiction of nature and all of its wonder. A story about renewal and changing seasons, this is the tale of Matt, a boy who sees potential in a small spring in an abandoned lot. Seeking the help of his sister and his friend Pablo, the young conservationist gets to work. Eventually, with the support of their parents, the children turn the trickle of water into a wonderful sanctuary for animals and people alike. This is a truly marvelous offering about our influence on nature and its influence on us. It is a celebration of all things natural in this world. The gentle text is highlighted by extraordinary, detailed illustrations. This selection is sure to fascinate readers young and old. VERDICT A lovely addition for most library collections, this gorgeous book will enchant and inspire.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Grades K-2 The lush double-spread cover depicting a habitat for birds, deer, rabbits, and children signals that the titular pond is a special place. The opening endpapers show a dank location outside a city, cheerless and lifeless. But young Matt discovers there might be more to the pit, and along with a diverse group of friends, he removes trash, creates a dam, and brings a pond to life. While something valuable is found in the dirt (a piece of blue quartz), the illustrations highlight other treasures: young people playing music, restoring an old boat, and luxuriating on a raft. LaMarche (Winter Is Coming, 2014, with Tony Johnston) utilizes a soft palette of acrylics, colored pencils, and opaque inks in warm earth tones with lots of yellow and blue. While the book notes the passing of seasons, the final end pages show an idyllic world in spring, a reminder of new possibilities. Pair with Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander's This Is the Earth (2016) for another look at nature and the role of children.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)