Pond Circle

Be the first to write a review
Hardcover
$14.94
BN.com price
$17.99 List Price (Save 17%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$8.03
$17.99 List Price (Save 55%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (15)  
Used (5)  
New (10)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 15 (2 pages)
$8.03
(Save 55%)
Once & Again Books ECobb GA
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(497)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Very Good
2009 Hardcover VG/VG

Ships from: Marietta, GA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$8.98
(Save 50%)
Ebooksweb
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(1776)

Condition: New
6/9/2009 Hardcover New 1416940219 Ships Within 24 Hours. Tracking Number available for all USA orders. Excellent Customer Service. Upto 15 Days 100% Money Back Gurantee. Try ... Our Fast! ! ! ! Shipping With Tracking Number. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Bensalem, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$9.34
(Save 48%)
Books Any
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(1916)

Condition: New
Vitale, Stefano 2009 Hard cover New. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 32 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience.

Ships from: Valley Stream, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$9.65
(Save 46%)
Great Book Deals
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(12283)

Condition: New
Absolutely Brand New & In Stock. 100% 30-Day Money Back. Direct from our warehouse. Over 5+ Million Customers served. In business since 1997. Happy Customers is Our #1 Goal. ... Customer Service toll free upport Monday-Friday EST Hrs. 4 to 14 business day Delivery Time by US Post Office. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Oldsmar, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$10.44
(Save 42%)
PaperbackshopUS
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4793)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$11.02
(Save 39%)
PaperbackshopUS
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4793)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$11.14
(Save 38%)
indoo
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(21684)

Condition: New
BRAND NEW

Ships from: Avenel, NJ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$12.23
(Save 32%)
BargainBookStores
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(7941)

Condition: New
BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Ships from: Grand Rapids, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$13.59
(Save 24%)
Qwestbooks
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(6)

Condition: Like New
Hardcover Fine 1416940219 Ships within 24 hours. Best customer service. 100% money back return policy. Publisher Overstock.

Ships from: Churchville, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$13.61
(Save 24%)
Urbookstore1
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(386)

Condition: Like New
Hardcover Fine 1416940219 Publisher Overstock.

Ships from: Philadelphia, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 15 (2 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

On a summer night by a small pond, all seems still. But a closer look reveals a world of activity—mayflies dart, beetles dive, frogs spring, skunks shuffle, and owls swoop. As a young girl watches, the circle of life unfolds. Betsy Franco’s rhythmic, cumulative text makes this a lively read-aloud, and rich, luminous paintings by Stefano Vitale capture the bold beauty of nature. Young readers will be inspired to journey into their own backyards and discover the wonder of the living, breathing world around them.

... See more details below
Note: Kids' Club Eligible. See More Details.
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

On a summer night by a small pond, all seems still. But a closer look reveals a world of activity—mayflies dart, beetles dive, frogs spring, skunks shuffle, and owls swoop. As a young girl watches, the circle of life unfolds. Betsy Franco’s rhythmic, cumulative text makes this a lively read-aloud, and rich, luminous paintings by Stefano Vitale capture the bold beauty of nature. Young readers will be inspired to journey into their own backyards and discover the wonder of the living, breathing world around them.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Rhythmic cadences and a dark palette are paired to explore the shadowy setting and circle of life for creatures that live near a pond. The majority of the book is a cumulative poem—“This is the water/ the deep, still water/ that filled the pond/ by Anna’s house./ This is the algae/ the jade green algae...”—though Franco abandons the format, somewhat awkwardly, with two closing stanzas in Anna’s voice. The algae is eaten by a mayfly nymph, the mayfly by a beetle, and a frog, snake, skunk, owl, raccoon and coyote make appearances, too. The overall tone is matter-of-fact yet lyrical, and Franco’s ending “Facts to Pond-er” offers kid-pleasing details about the book’s creatures. Vitale’s somber, nighttime panoramas—oil on wood, with a strong horizontal grain—feature stylized figures that, while striking, may detach viewers from the insect gobbling and egg stealing described. Anna’s facial expression is static, as if she were a carved figurehead on an ancient ship. Although the text is sometimes difficult to read against the muted paintings, young naturalists and poets will be intrigued nonetheless. Ages 4–8. (June)
Children's Literature
Written in the rhythm and structure of "This is the house that Jack built," this book focuses on the circle of life and death in the small pond that Anna observes from her window one summer night. The book opens mysteriously and poetically, "This is the water/the deep still water/that filled the pond/by Anna's house." The reader meets Anna only at the end, when she states that she heard the coyote that stalked the raccoon, and she recounts the animals that preyed on successively smaller ones until she comes full circle back to the water that filled her pond. Strong, descriptive verbs—skunks shuffle, and raccoons rummage—convey the activity in a seemingly quiet body of water. Illustrations, painted on wood grain to show the swirl in the water and changing patterns of light in the evening sky, portray animals pursuing their catch naturalistically without showing the graphic aftermath. The book culminates in "Facts to Pond-er" with a paragraph of information about algae, mayfly nymph, predaceous diving beetle, bullfrog, giant garter snake, striped skunk, great horned owl, raccoon, and coyote. This is an informative, accessible book that will draw children and evoke questions. Reviewer: Cynthia Levinson
More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews
School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3

This straightforward depiction of the food chain focuses on a pond near the house of a little girl named Anna. The poetic text builds in a "This Is the House That Jack Built" fashion, starting with "the deep, still water" and then introducing "the jade green algae," "the mayfly nymph," "the diving beetle," "the loud bullfrog," and so on up the chain. In the early pages, death is quick and no-nonsense: fly, beetle, frog, and snake are easily devoured by larger predators. Once the furry animals appear, however, the author is more circumspect; the owl merely dives for the skunk, and the coyote stalks the raccoon. Above it all, Anna hears the howl of a coyote and looks out her window, subtly reinforcing humanity's place at the top of the hierarchy. Vitale's rich, colorful oil-on-wood illustrations are as poetic as the text in their depiction of the natural world. An appended "facts to pond-er" section offers more information about the animals included. A clear, child-friendly look at ecology, this book is destined to find a home in storytimes and classrooms.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Kirkus Reviews
What begins as a soothing, bedtime chant in the style of "The House that Jack Built" takes a dark turn as it covers the cycle of life. "This is the water, the deep, still water that filled the pond by Anna's house," it starts. Then readers see the nymph that eats the algae, the beetle that eats the nymph and so on. But when the food chain arrives at a snake eating a frog and a skunk eating the snake, one wonders what carnage lies ahead. The narrative pulls back at this point with an owl only diving for the skunk and ends with a coyote stalking a raccoon. Anna calls a "hello" back to the howling coyote, but it's hard to imagine most children not rooting for the prey here. Vitale's muted oils painted on wood lend themselves well to the nocturnal landscape and give depth to the murky water, but certain images, such as the beady-eyed snake and the frightening owl swooping toward the reader, might give little ones more than they bargained for. It's a worthwhile venture, to depict nature red in tooth and claw, but best saved for somewhat older readers. (Picture book. 6-9)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781416940210
  • Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
  • Publication date: 6/9/2009
  • Pages: 32
  • Sales rank: 724,845
  • Age range: 4 - 8 Years
  • Product dimensions: 9.34 (w) x 11.28 (h) x 0.42 (d)

Meet the Author

Betsy Franco has spent more than twenty years showing children the beauty, depth, and fun of math and science through her picture books. She lives with her husband in Palo Alto, California. Visit her website at betsyfranco.com.

Stefano Vitale is the illustrator of several books for children, including the New York Times bestseller Why War Is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker. Stefano lives with his wife and children in Venice, Italy. Please visit his website at stefanovitale.com.

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit