In My Pond, by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich
There are some things about animals that are just basics we teach our toddlers and preschoolers without thinking about it too much - what they sound like, what they eat, and where they live are chief among these. There are a good handful of earnest books and even a few fun ones that will get this across for your child – or you could try a new one with a fun twist.
Let me first say, I am not generally a fan of books with built-in toys. All too often, they are noisy, easily-broken, annoying plastic gizmos, and they frequently star the piercing voice of some licensed character. {end rant} So suffice it to say that for me to be impressed by a book with a “feature,” for me to call it fun, is pretty big.
In this case, this feature is a sweet felt finger puppet that nestles in the middle of this board book’s die-cut pages and adds life to a simple-enough-for-toddlers (or even babies) recounting of what is found in the fish’s pond home. The puppet is straight-forward enough for tiny fingers to use, brightly coloured, and ties nicely into the story, rather than being just a gimmick.
I think it’s also important to note that this book is really well-designed and sturdy enough for the accidentally brutal hands of young children. The fish is well-attached, and the pages are extra-thick to make up for the loss of strength that cut-outs cause. This makes for a short book, but the illustrations are lovely, and the family-oriented message at the end reassuring.
I might just have to buy followup title In My Nest for my baby, too!
A career Children’s Librarian, the Book Fairy (a.k.a. kittenpie) has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Since she can’t help but force books on people, she’s thrilled to have another place to do it without creeping people out the way she does at the bookstore.
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