A review by sunflowerx
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman

5.0

Joyce Sidman’s Songs of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems is a delightful storybook comprised of eleven short poems. Each poem describes the adventures or details of pond/woodland animals. For example the poem, Listen for Me, describes the beautiful song of a tree frogs at the beginning of spring. The poem describes the frogs’ song as lullaby of sorts as the last line explains that the frogs song could put you to sleep. I appreciate Ms. Sidman’s attention to detail in her description of each animal. After each poem is a short paragraph describing different characteristic of each animal. This allows children to fully understand the meaning behind each poem, while teaching them more about wildlife. This book could be used in a literature lesson about poetry or it could be spun to be used in a science lesson because of the descriptions of each animal. Beckie Prange’s illustrations are bright and colorful and will surely keep any child interested in Ms. Sidman’s words.