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kristenremenar's review against another edition
3.0
Nice life cycle / House that Jack built tale. Love the oil-on-wood paintings that let the grain of the wood show through.
tashrow's review
5.0
Follow the life cycle in a small pond as this story builds one layer on the next in a traditional folktale style. The book starts with the “deep, still water” and moves from one plant to creature growing and growing. This is a simple story that culminates in a young girl looking out from her window over the pond and seeing all of the creatures and plants mentioned. By tying humans into the story, we are connected and reminded of the world around us in a subtle way. I also appreciated as the repetition got to get lengthy that the phrasing changed slightly and was refreshed.
The writing is excellent with small touches that make it very special. I appreciate the descriptive language of “jade green algae” for instance. What takes this book to a higher level is the art. Painted on wood, the art incorporates the swirls of the wood grain into watery waves, sunset-lit clouds, and even wallpaper. Ingeniously selected and painted to great effect, the paintings are stylish, colorful and reflect that traditional but modern feel of the entire book.
Highly recommended for units on life cycles, this book will work well with very small children who will enjoy the repetition but also with older children who will appreciate the science and style. Appropriate for ages 2-7.
The writing is excellent with small touches that make it very special. I appreciate the descriptive language of “jade green algae” for instance. What takes this book to a higher level is the art. Painted on wood, the art incorporates the swirls of the wood grain into watery waves, sunset-lit clouds, and even wallpaper. Ingeniously selected and painted to great effect, the paintings are stylish, colorful and reflect that traditional but modern feel of the entire book.
Highly recommended for units on life cycles, this book will work well with very small children who will enjoy the repetition but also with older children who will appreciate the science and style. Appropriate for ages 2-7.
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