If anyone reading this review
thinks that “Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond” sounds an awful lot like “Old MacDonald
had a farm,”…ding, ding, ding, ding…imagine yourself basking in the sound of
the bells ringing, signifying that yes, you would be correct. Written by Mary
Quattlebaum and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, the book introduces Jo, the
farmer’s daughter, who is spending the day observing life at the pond. I was
tempted to knock off a star in Sarah’s rating, but realized it was ME that got
annoyed singing “Jo MacDonald had a farm…with a quack quack here…” etc., etc.,
etc., etc., etc.,…Sarah enjoyed it quite a bit, and had me read her the book a
couple of times before returning it to the library.
The great thing about this pick is
the resource page found at the back of the book. There are a number of nature
activities to do with your child. We already adapted the idea of looking for
colors around the pond to one of our afternoon walks. Also included was a list
of websites that allow you to get involved in citizen science projects, such as
frog or bird watching. You can buy “Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond” from DawnPublishing, a company that prides itself on “connecting children and nature.” On
their website, they have additional activities to do with children based on the
book you read. For this particular
selection, we found directions for reed weaving and examining a drop of pond
water, among others.
This book is one that keeps on
giving to your child. The ideas for exploration found in it can
inspire your child to learn more about the natural world around them.
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