In the Pond

Uncover five nature stories in a single pond. Watch a tadpole grow into a frog and a fish escape a kingfisher, as you lift the double-layer lift flaps in 1... 2... 3 steps!

In the Pond is a lift-the-flap board book with a bit of a difference, due to that three-step structure. It may take a bit of time to guide little ones into lifting the flaps in tandem to reveal the outcome of each pond character's story, but it will keep them happily engaged once they get the hang of it.

With read-aloud rhyming texts and first words to see and say, this book also reinforces early language skills. As well as the main story for the grown-up to read, there are large single words in bold to look at together, such as "still", "fast", "close" and "low".

It's also a nice touch that – alongside more familiar pond residents or visitors, such as frogs and tadpoles – the book introduces some more obscure creatures to add to a child's spoken or visual vocabulary: nymphs, voles and stickleback fish.

The illustrations are soft and dreamy and will make you want to go on a sunny-day adventure to find a pond and celebrate all this wonderful wildlife together.