At the Pond by David Elliott and Amy Schimler-Safford - OPTIONAL

At the Pond by David Elliott, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford. PICTURE BOOK, POETRY. Candlewick Press, 2022. $19. 9781536205985

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

At the Pond is a companion book to David Elliott’s other poetry books that focus on different habitats and the animals residing within. Each two-page spread includes bold, colorful illustrations and a poem about different flora or fauna associated with the pond. The cover and illustrations are fantastic and eye-catching and will appeal to all ages. Some of the poems are simple and catchy (“Polly! Polly! Pollywog! Golly! Golly! Golly! Frog!”) while others include overly advanced vocabulary (e.g. enigmatic, prolific, diaphanous, charismatic) that can’t be deciphered using illustrations or context clues. For me, the backmatter made up for what some elementary students might consider confusing or uninteresting poetry. I loved the fun, unique facts included at the back of the book about each of the animals featured in the poetry.

Reviewer: Angie Campbell, EL librarian