Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond

by Cathryn Falwell, Cathryn Falwell (Illustrator)

Overview

One by one, ten turtles splash into the pond. A counting book and fun exploration of animals at the pond, perfect for preschoolers.

It's a peaceful day at the pond as ten timid turtles bask in the sun. But wait! A bullfrog leaps, a rabbit rustles, deer appear, a chickadee chirps, and the turtles dive one by one into the water. Splash!

For storytime at home or in the classroom, use Turtle Splash! to gently reinforce early counting lessons, as well as information about the animals that visit a pond.

But most of all: turtles!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061429279
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/26/2008
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	207,216
Product dimensions:	10.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	AD470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Cathryn Falwell grows vegetables and mystery vines in her garden next to Frog Song Pond in Maine. The pond and its creatures have been featured in the books Turtle Splash! and Scoot!, also published by Greenwillow Books.

Cathryn Falwell grows vegetables and mystery vines in her garden next to Frog Song Pond in Maine. The pond and its creatures have been featured in the books Turtle Splash! and Scoot!, also published by Greenwillow Books.

Editorial Reviews

Falwell's (Where's Nicky?) combination of counting book and nature tale, in an idyllic pond setting, begins with "Ten timid turtles, lounging in a line." These attractive Eastern Painted Turtles (identified at story's end), with sweetly placid eyes, intricate stripes and loops of yellow and orange on their shells and bodies, appear on every spread but decrease in number with each turn of the page. Various creatures send them scuttling for cover off their log, one by one, and into the variegated blueness of the pond. First, a plump emerald bullfrog in flight reduces the group to nine; several pages later, the fluttering presence of a burnished brown butterfly knocks the number down to three. Into each spread, Falwell tucks a clue as to the next offender: in one, it's a fawn's spotted back, in another the feather of a chickadee floats on the pond's surface. After all 10 turtles make their exits, they reconvene on the pond floor to "settle for the night." Working in collages of papers, birch bark and leaf prints, Falwell makes every aqua-hued spread come alive with texture, both visually and ecologically. The final spreads provide succinct profiles of the pond inhabitants that appear in the story and explain how to make the same leaf prints that Falwell uses so effectively. This lush volume is sure to make a splash. Ages 3-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-"Ten/timid turtles,/lounging/in a line./Startled by/a bullfrog-/Then there/are nine." This lovely countdown features Eastern Painted Turtles and various insects, birds, and mammals sharing a pond habitat. As each new creature appears on the scene, one more turtle jumps off the log and into the water. Eventually, the blue sky of day gives way to rose and purple shades and all 10 tired turtles are underwater to "settle for the night." The familiar counting scheme plays out in beautifully constructed collage scenes. Many of the animals are quite realistic; some are less detailed. Birch bark and leaf prints add realism to the lush growth surrounding the melded blues and greens of the water. A white panel on either side of the double-page view contains a large blue numeral, the verse, and trailing bits of picture to soften the contrast. The pleasing glimpses of the shy turtles and their neighbors end with a satisfying recapping of the count in a night view lit with fireflies. Three final pages augment the pond visit with information on the behavior of each animal and brief instructions for making leaf prints. This is pleasing fare for reading aloud at bedtime, or anytime, and offers an inviting early nature lesson.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

With an implied "splash," another green-shelled turtle disappears from the scene in this pond-life counting rhyme. Beginning with ten turtles sunning themselves on a log, each is surprised by a different animal and plops into the water. "Ten / timid turtles, / lounging / in a line. / Startled by / a bullfrog . . . / Then there / are nine." Readers can spot the animal that will startle a turtle next by studying the pictures on each page and finding the hidden creature. Falwell (It's About Time, 1999, etc.) uses collages made from a variety of materials (explained in an author's note) as well as leaf prints for added texture. Thoughtfully, she has included a section with instructions for the craft. In some spots the predominant colors of blue, green, and brown have a tendency to blend together and wash each other out, but the leaf prints add a nice contrast and give a sense of realism to the pictures. Because the illustrations need to be looked at closely, this might be best when shared one on one-though it's attractive just as a read-aloud. Young children will like searching for the hidden clues and will eagerly add up the turtles on each page. Older ones will find in the appendix an opportunity to learn how the ducks, deer, mosquitoes, bullfrogs, and other animals live in this eco-system. A lovely example of multidisciplinary bookmaking showing how science, art, and literature can all connect. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews