Puddle Song
Puddle Song
Puddle Song

Puddle Song

Laura Purdie Salas (Author)

Monique Felix (Illustrator)

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This poetic board book takes a puddle’s point of view, calling children to delight in their senses.

Reviews

A rhyming, lyrical ode to the joy of puddles.A diverse group of children frolic, splash, and explore the drips and drizzle on a blustery day. We see galoshes, a raincoat, an umbrella, windy swirls, and even a playful pup and a rescued snail. Salas’ simple, lilting text is full of satisfying phrases perfect for reading aloud like “stompers and jumpers” and “silver skin.” In just a few short pages, there are plenty of rich vocabulary words: wind-rattled and rippling, for example. Felix’s soft, detailed ink, watercolor, and crayon illustrations match the tone of the story. One impressive image shows a close-up of boots, midsplash in a puddle, the water spraying and droplets crashing like waves against the shore. Curiosity is apparent on the faces of the children, some in awe, others apprehensive, others still gleeful and carefree. The illustrations convey so much of little ones’ inner naturalist and scientist. One child gingerly extends a leaf to rescue a snail from the middle of a large puddle. In another image, a group kneels beside the water, looking at their reflections, dipping in a toe, watching circles ripple out. The quality of the writing paired with the complementary skillful illustrations make this worthy of readers’ bookshelves. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Vibrant text and images come together to celebrate a rainy day. (Board book. 0-2)

Kirkus, 11/29/2022

"Bring me your boots" is the opening phrase of Puddle Song, and let me tell you, I was hooked from then on. Over the years there's been a continual emphasis on publishing board books that prepare children for the social and emotional demands of preschool and kindergarten, as well as early childhood academic demands. And while counting board books, alphabet boards books, and socio-emotional board books have many benefits, I wish I could find more board books on the market that simply focus on encouraging a child's innate curiosities. In a 2021 article in Psychology Today, research suggests that creativity and independent thinking in childhood is one of the key contributors to a child's success in adulthood. Board books that encourage creativity and a connection with nature, like Puddle Song, to me, have lasting benefits for children. From full-page illustrations of children happily stomping in puddles, floating leaf boats, racing through the wind, and glancing at their reflections, Puddle Song is written with a simplicity that mimics the kind of simplicity that's often lost in childhoods of today. Unstructured play, an immersion in nature, and a slow-paced no-phones environment is often just the right recipe for a childhood that's filled to the brim with lasting memories of exploration, discovery, and wonder. And if you ask me, we could all use a little more wonder in our lives.

–Kelsie Marie Paff, Where the Board Books Are, 01/30/2023

"Bring me your boots, you stompers and jumpers./ Bring me your leaves, you wind-rattled trees.” Who is narrating this divine glimpse of children, who are variously Asian, brown, and white, riotously ­clomping, skipping, and whirling through a rainy day? The puddle, of course. In atmosphere and dress, the watercolorlike illustrations strike an old-fashioned tone but adhere to the ­puddle’s perspective, offering surprising close-ups of a doggy’s curious face and leaves floating past. A solid ode to childhood’s ­passion of viewing a silky surface and destroying it. VERDICT A first purchase; joyful, economical, and ­exhilarating.

School Library Journal(Starred Review), 03/01/2023

Had a co-worker of mine not read this book aloud to me, I don’t know that I would have loved it as much as I now do. Salas really is a poet and that skill has been brought to the fore in this title. Listen to this:“Bring me your leaves, you wind-rattled trees.”It just gives me the shivers (in a good way!”. Ditto this next one:“in my silver skin rippling light in the breeze.”Dang. Preschoolers never had it so good.

–Betsy Bird, Fuse #8 (31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Great Board Books), 12/01/2023

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