Pond Circle
Franco, Betsy. 2009. Pond
Circle. New York, NY: Margaret K.
McElderry Books. ISBN 978-1-4169-4021-0
2. PLOT SUMMARY
On a pond near a young girl’s house, the
food chain comes to life. The cumulative
text demonstrates the activity of the creatures in the great outdoors on a
summer night. The food chain is active
as verses like “the garter snake that swallowed the frog that gobbled the
beetle that ate the nymph” show children that larger animals eat the smaller,
lesser animals. The tale ends with a
girl gazing upon the pond and witnessing the animal world in action. At the end of the book, Facts to Pond-er
share interesting tidbits of information about the animals involved in the pond’s
food chain.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pond circle is a dynamic tale told in cumulative verse.
Reminiscent of the House That Jack Built, Franco creates a repetitive poem that
delights the reader with its rhythm, especially when read out loud. Younger readers will enjoy the variety of
words used to illustrate the animals devouring each other. Words such as nibbled, gobbled, swallowed,
and ate, are all words that evoke a vivid image of the pond creatures in
action.
The young girl’s reflection upon the pond and its food
circle add a level of interest to this book that may deflect from the rhythm earlier
in the book. While the addition of Ann is intended to arouse an additional
emotional response from the reader and audience, it may simply detract from the
simplicity of the cumulative tale.
The illustrations augment the story by deftly portraying the
animals in their natural habitat. However,
some of the illustrations may be too lifelike for younger children. The combination of the description of the
hungry raccoon and the drawing of it licking an egg may give a visual that
disturbs toddlers.
The addendum to the book, Facts to Pond-er, is a welcome addition
of information that will assist teachers and parents further educate their
young readers about the basics of biology.
With this addendum, future readings will be enhanced by the factual
knowledge gleaned from this section.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Bank Street
Best Books of the Year - with Outstanding Merit
California
Collections Award
School Library Journal: “A clear, child-friendly look at
ecology, this book is destined to find a home in storytimes and classrooms.”
Kirkus: “It’s a worthwhile venture, to depict nature red in tooth
and claw, but best saved for somewhat older readers.”
Publishers Weekly: “The overall tone is matter-of-fact yet
lyrical, and Franco’s ending “Facts to Pond-er” offers kid-pleasing details
about the book’s creatures.”
Booklist: “Close-up images of specific animals will delight the
youngest kids, while the large type and repeated phrases are well suited to the
needs of beginning readers.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Other books
with cumulative tales:
Winter,
Jeanette. The House that Jack Built.
ISBN 978-0142301265Taback, Simms. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. ISBN 978-0670869398
Dr. Suess. Green Eggs and Ham. ISBN 978-0394800165
*Other books by
Betsy Franco:
Birdsongs.
ISBN 978-0689877773
A Dazzling Display of Dogs. ISBN
978-1582463438
*Other books about the food chain:
Lauber, Patricia. Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs. ISBN 978-0064451307
Relf, Pat. The Magic
School Bus Gets Eaten: A Book About the Food Chain. ISBN 978-1582463438