Hello, Puddle!

by Anita Sanchez, Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)

Overview

A nonfiction picture book exploring a deceptively simple but unexpectedly crucial resource for wildlife: puddles! This lyrical, gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book is perfect for young science learners and nature lovers.

Hello, puddle! Who's here?

A normal everyday puddle may not seem very special. But for a mother turtle, it might be the perfect place to lay her eggs. For a squirrel, it might be the only spot to cool off and get a drink when the sun is shining down in July. And for any child, it can be a window into the elegant, complex natural world right outside their window.

With lush, playful illustrations and fun facts about the animals featured, Hello, Puddle! is a joyful celebration of the remarkable in the ordinary, and the importance of even the most humble places in fostering life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358381440
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/22/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	299,215
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Anita Sanchez is an environmental educator and the award-winning author of many nonfiction books for children, including Itch!: Everything You Didn't Want to Know About What Makes You Scratch, Rotten!: Vultures, Beetles, Slime, and Nature's Other Decomposers, and Hello, Puddle! Visit Anita online at anitasanchez.com.

Luisa Uribe is an illustrator living in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds a graphic design degree from the National University of Colombia and an MA in art and design from Loughborough University.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/17/2022

A poetic text delves into the intricacies of a puddle’s ecosystem in this buoyant picture book by Sanchez, which introduces a pale-skinned 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.)

Publishers Weekly

"A curiosity-stoking exploration of the way even the smallest bodies of water sustain life.”  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An appealing introduction to an often-overlooked part of nature." — Booklist

"Charming visuals and deceptively simple text combine in a book that will reward repeat readings and inspire little naturalists." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

"An appealing introduction to an often-overlooked part of nature."

Booklist

03/01/2022

PreS-Gr 1—A little girl checks to see what new wildlife has been drawn to her puddle as the weather and seasons change in this sweet introduction to a habitat. As the puddle grows and shrinks and turns to ice, the child watches how critters from butterflies to deer use the puddle as a home, bathtub, or drinking fountain. Each spread focuses on a single animal with a spare descriptive line about its puddle activity and an additional sentence that provides a nugget of background information. Beautifully composed, richly colored illustrations contain just enough detail for young readers and keep the scene of a single puddle intriguingly dynamic. Back matter includes tips for watching wildlife, further descriptions of the creatures one might find near a puddle, and a glossary. VERDICT Charming visuals and deceptively simple text combine in a book that will reward repeat readings and inspire little naturalists.—Jan Aldrich Solow

School Library Journal