The Noisy Puddle: A Vernal Pool Through the Seasons

The subtitle, A Vernal Pool Through the Seasons, alerts readers to the content of this inviting sensory exploration in nature, presented through images and sounds. Beginning in spring, two youngsters discover animals and plants in and around a small body of water held in a dip in the forest. As the weather warms, more life appears in the woodland setting. In the heat of summer, the pool shrinks and vanishes, but it has served its purpose--to nourish wildlife and forest vegetation. And come fall, rain once again collects in low-lying spots. As it freezes, it provides homes for some hibernators….until, once again, spring thaws the ice creating a new vernal pool. The youngsters enjoy the surprises that await at each turn of the seasons.

This picture book is especially appealing for its lively rhyming text combined with vibrant and complex collage-style illustrations done in eye-popping colour. You won’t want to rush through the story; rather take time to enjoy the textures, shapes, and 3-D perspective of these precise paper, plastic and fabric images that often sprawl across double spreads. There’s so much detail to see here. Peepers are cleverly tucked among budding branches, tadpoles scattered among the debris in the pool, bright green leaves gradually fill in spaces between the trees as summer advances. Fall brings brilliant color contrasts. When snow blankets the ground, we’re treated to a peek at small underground hibernators. A page near the back of the book reviews the list of most animals in close-up, labelled images.

The short and simple rhyming text uses strong active verbs to help readers experience the scenes: ducks clown, whirligigs glide, toads totter. For little listeners, The Noisy Puddle is a perfect read-aloud introduction to the nature of one type of wetland. And for older readers, a page of explanations about what’s going on in and around the pool through the seasons will expand learning. This section makes good listening, too, as the reading level is accessible and conversational, delivering the message about the value of these small ecosystems and perhaps prompting discussion about why they need protecting: “everybody is somebody’s lunch in a vernal pool”.

A brief list of print resources is included; a few online items would be a useful addition. Use The Noisy Puddle to introduce young readers to the special seasonal communities that get their start or live their lives because of an unobtrusive puddle called a vernal pool. It will inspire the curious to look for these little wetlands that do a big job and that may be easy to find close to home.