Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond

PreS-K—In this inventive twist on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," Jo visits a nearby pond with her sketch pad and observes reeds, bullfrogs, raccoons, deer, blackbirds, and fish. The rhyming lyrics are in sync with the story/song and emulate it almost perfectly. For example, when the child discovers the raccoon, the text sings: "With a chat-chat here/And a chat-chat there./Here a chat, there a chat,/Everywhere a chat-chat/Jo MacDonald saw a raccoon, E-I-E-I-O." However, the inclusion of raccoon and dragonfly make the rhyme feel a bit forced. The spreads are done in breezy hues of watercolors, with plenty of white space accentuating life on and around the pond. The final one encourages children to match pictures of the animals with the sounds they make. Back matter describes the pond community and shares some "Citizen-Scientist" websites. Although an additional purchase, this title would work one-on-one or for sharing with a group.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY