Pond Seasons (Reannounce, CL)

The changing procession of animals that inhabit a pond indicates the subtle shift of seasons in this handsomely illustrated but uneven book. Spring brings mallard ducklings, butterflies and ""froglets""; summer arrives with snakes, bats, dragonflies and fish. Fall's cast is equally full, but winter gets short shrift with a single turtle and a beaver family. Surrounded by Blades's (A Salmon for Simon) serene watercolors, Alderson's (A Ride for Martha) compressed verse sometimes reads like a rush hour commute, with words and phrases bumping up against one another. But although the language can be confusing and tongue-tripping at times, it can also be playful: ""Young chickarees hurry and scurry,/ skip through the flurry of falling leaves""; a baby bat clings to its mother, ""along for the swoop, the dip,/ the upside-downside glide,/ along for the ride."" Meanwhile, the illustrations' relaxed balance of detail and ambiance encourages readers to observe items of particular interest without losing sight of the pond environment and its perennial pleasures. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)