By Kate Messner and art by Christopher Silas Neal
“Over the pond we slide, splashing through lily pads, sweeping through reeds.”
We’ve said before how much we love the Over and Under series by Kate Messner (see our previous reviews here and here!) – they’re gorgeous stories about children exploring different habitats and discovering all the wildlife found there. This particular one stars a small boy and his mother rowing their little wooden boat across a pond, as all the creatures that call it home reveal themselves to them.
The range of animals included is amazing – everything from tiny whirligig beetles and caddisfly larvae to a huge moose standing in the shallows are pictured! The kids were delighted by all their furry favourites – otters, racoons and beavers are all mentioned – and they had a real “ew!” moment at the dragonfly larvae catching a minnow! The book shows beautifully how the animals and insects interact with each other and their environment, and provides plenty of starting points for conversations about food chains/webs, and how everything in nature is connected.
As always, the illustrations are delightfully charming, with gorgeous shades of calming blues and greens, giving a realistic atmosphere to the book. And there’s so much to spot – tiny creatures hide amongst the plants and in the depths, giving a glorious feeling of discovery when you find them!
The glossary section at the back, as with previous Over and Under books, provides a short paragraph about each creature mentioned, which is super helpful – in fact, the book is so informative, even older children will learn something from it!
Over and Under the Pond is a beautiful living book, which should be on the bookshelf of all Charlotte Mason and Waldorf families. It’s a real treat – a lovely calming moment in our increasingly hurried world, which encourages both you and your children to slow down and breathe. We highly recommend it!
Over and Under the Pond can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
We were kindly gifted our copy of Over and Under the Pond – thank you so much Chronicle and Abrams!
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