Overview

Chronicle Books – Over and Under the Pond (Hardcover)

A follow up to Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this time focusing on the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. As parent and child launch a canoe from the muddy shore and paddle through water lilies, they see frogs jump and painted turtles slide off logs, disappearing beneath the murky water. What’s happening down there? Under the pond, leeches lurk, crayfish scuttle under rocks, nymphs build intricate shells, and microscopic animals break down fallen leaves to recharge the water with nutrients. Over the pond, fuzzy cattails sway in the breeze, and a pair of loons swim by, laughing in the dappled sunlight. An author’s note discusses not only the different organisms featured, but also the truly remarkable balance of this wetland ecosystem, the way plants and animals create a chemical balance that sustains the lives of the pond.

Hardcover: 48 pages

ISBN: 9781452145426

Dimensions: 21.3 x 1.3 x 31.4 cm

Written by: Kate Messner

Illustrated by: Christopher Silas Neal

About the author: 

Kate Messner is a middle school teacher and the author of several books for young readers including Over and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and the Sea Monster series. She lives in Plattsburgh, New York.