Using the classic children's song, Old MacDonald Had a Farm as an inspiration, Mary Quattlebaum crafts a sing-along story about a young girl - Old MacDonald's granddaughter, Jo - who spends a day beside the pond, seeing all the flora and fauna in this small ecosystem. "Jo MacDonald Saw a pond, / E-I-E-I-O. / And in that pond she saw some reeds, / E-I-E-I-O. / With a swish-swish here / And a swish-swish there, / Here a swish, there a swish, / Everywhere a swish-swish. / Jo MacDonald saw a pond, / E-I-E-I-O," it begins, going on to document all of the features of pond life - fish, frogs, ducks, birds, raccoons, deer, and dragonflies - that young Jo encounters.

I enjoyed Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond quite a bit, and found myself humming along to the traditional tune, as I read. Quattlebaum does an excellent job adapting the original, creating a lentic tribute that is both entertaining and educational. An extensive afterword gives additional information about all the creatures included in the song. The artwork, done in gentle watercolor shades by Laura J. Bryant, captures each scene beautifully. All in all, this was a fun little book, one that can be used as both an entertaining sing-along at story-time, and as an aid in natural history education for younger children. I will definitely be seeking out the sequel, Jo MacDonald Had a Garden! ( )

What a wonderful book (anything with a frog is alright with me). This nice thing about this book is it is teaching the youngster about nature and what can be found on the farm. The ecosystem message is easy to understand and can be understood my many age ranges. The rhythmiing is great and makes the book fun to read aloud. ( )

An adaptation of the song Old Macdonald Had a Farm, Mary Quattlebaum's Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond features Jo MacDonald (who appears to be the young granddaughter of Old MacDonald) describing what she sees and hears at and near the pond on her grandfather's farm (reeds, fish, birds, deer, raccoons and the like, all making their characteristic, distinctive sounds). This delightful picture book is a fun and engaging introduction to ecology, to a pond habitat for very young children (who will probably love the song, especially the expressive, onomatopoeic nature sounds). Slightly older children will no doubt also enjoy the matching game at the back, as well as the detailed supplemental information about the pond community and how one can be a naturalist, how one can experience the natural world (and not just by reading about nature and ecology, but by actually going out to explore and observe).

There is nothing really amazing or novel about Mary Quattlebaum's text. It is simply and wonderfully a successful adaptation of the well-known song, while Laura S. Bryant's bright and lively illustrations provide a colourful, detailed and cheery complement to the former. Author and illustrator have also collaborated on Jo MacDonald Had a Garden, which is likely just as fun, just as informative and delightful as Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond (a third Jo MacDonald picture book, Jo MacDonald Hiked in the Woods is due to be released in the autumn of 2013). ( )

Did you know that Old MacDonald, who “had a farm,” also had a granddaughter? When Jo MacDonald visits her grandfather’s farm, she sees a pond, “E-I-E-I-O.” What does she find there? She hears cattail reeds swishing, bluegill fish blurping, a bullfrog croaking, mallard ducks quacking, a red-winged blackbird screeing, a raccoon chatting, a white-tailed deer flicking its tail, and a green darner dragonfly whirring. Can you guess what one of the fish might try to do when it sees the dragonfly?

The classic children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” has helped generations of children learn about animals on a farm. Now his granddaughter, Jo MacDonald, uses the same tune to encourage youngsters to discover all the interesting plants and animals around the farm’s pond. Author Mary Quattlebaum grew up in the country surrounded by woods, fields, and a pond just like Jo MacDonald’s. Her text will engage little ones’ ears with rhythm, repetition, wordplay, and onomatopoeia, and illustrator Laura Bryant’s lively watercolors of the pond community, along with Jo, the plants, and the animals, will charm their eyes.

From an educational standpoint, the book introduces the concept of ecosystems. Endnotes feature a color and matching activity, further information about the plants and animals in the pond ecosystem, resources on how to learn more about ponds, and suggestions for becoming a naturalist like Jo. More downloadable indoor and outdoor activities for children using this book may be found at the publisher’s website. Children are very curious about the natural world, so they’re invited to come along with Jo MacDonald, and Grandpa, to learn about the wild creatures at the pond on the farm, including fish, frogs, ducks, and a few surprises too! ( )