Hello, Puddle! Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review

Anita Sanchez, illus. by Luisa Uribe. Clarion, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-358-38144-0

A poetic text delves into the intricacies of a puddle’s ecosystem in this buoyant picture book by Sanchez, which introduces a child who watches a local puddle over the seasons, observing its visitors, which include bats, birds, insects, mammals, plant life, and toads and tadpoles.

In-depth facts append each lyrical line: “Swallows loop the loop,” reads one spread, portraying four swallows sweeping around the puddle, which is surrounded by verdant plants. Smaller text beneath reads, “Barn swallows grab a beakful of mud. They’ll raise their babies in a dried-mud cradle.” Intricate, thin-lined spreads by Uribe clearly mark the changing seasons and weather in harmonious color palettes studded with sweetly stylized creatures. A curiosity-stoking exploration of the way even the smallest bodies of water sustain life.

Back matter includes an author’s note and suggestions on making one’s own puddles. Ages 4–7. (Mar.).


Spring 2022

Volume 40 , Number 1

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