Tuesday, November 29, 2016

POND by Jim LaMarche / Book Review #picturebookmonth


Written and Illustrated by: Jim LaMarche
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Released on: September 13th, 2016
Ages: 4 & up
Rating: 5 Owlets - We Loved It
Purchase from: Simon & Schuster | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

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?


Capturing the bond one can have with nature, this book is childhoods past and present. It's a longing for summertimes long gone. It's also a beautiful story about finding your place among nature, and giving back to the world around us. 


Matt sees 'The Pit' for more than what it is right now. He realizes that once it was a beautiful pond. Through a lot of hard work, Matt and his friends restore what looked like a dump of an area, to a beautiful, natural area where life long memories are made, and nature displays it's full beauty year round. 

LaMarche does a wonderful job at showing by team work, and giving back to nature can do. Nature gave back to these characters in more ways than they imagined, as they see how the pond transforms through out each seasons. In restoring the pond back to it's natural habitat, they also witness the various wildlife forms (animals, bugs, plants, trees etc) that make their home here, and migrate through here. 

POND is a beautifully written and illustrated story that hits it's mark. It's one of those books who's illustrations pull you in with it's charm and magic of nature, and who's story shares an important message readers of all ages will get. This is definitely a book we'd recommend picking up! 

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~