The Noisy Puddle
By Linda Booth Sweeney
A well researched nonfiction picture book about the life cycle of vernal pools
Owlkids Books, March 15, 2024; 32 pages
Subrights Info
- Translation rights available via Owlkids Books
- UK/ANZ rights available via Owlkids Books
- Film/TV rights available via Janna Co.
- Merchandising and commercial rights available via Janna Co.
A lyrical dip into the noisy, magical world of a vernal pool. In this vibrant and poetic informational picture book, two curious siblings observe the hidden world of a vernal pool: a special kind of puddle habitat that pops up in the spring, dries up by summer, reappears in the fall, and freezes over in the winter—only to come back again in the spring.
Young naturalists and future water stewards will be encouraged to listen, watch, and wait to witness the seasonal changes of the ever-changing puddle and its inhabitants. As readers follow along with the rhythmic text, they will be fascinated to discover many familiar and not-so-familiar creatures that make up the surprising web of interrelationships living in these vital pop-up pools. With buoyant, lyrical text and beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations, The Noisy Puddle is an immersive introduction to “now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t” wetland habitats.
Reviews
“The gorgeous, textured, naturalistic, collagelike artwork bursts with life and realistic colors, and readers will enjoy closely examining the illustrations as animals and plants are enumerated; a chart at the end of the book helps readers identify the wildlife in this beautifully realized story…Nature offers up marvelous surprises at every turn—even via a humble puddle teeming with life.”
“Sweeney’s rhyming poetry highlights the sights and sounds of a “noisy puddle” in this captivating tribute to underappreciated vernal pools and their role in supporting healthy wetland ecosystems.”
Awards and Accolades
- Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year for 2020 for Monument Maker.
- 2024 Blueberry Honor Award for The Noisy Puddle
- 2025 Massachusetts Book Awards Picture Book winner
This book might appeal to fans of Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal, Song of the Water Boatman by Joyce Sidman, The Secret Pool by Kimberley Ridley, and Frog Heaven by Doug Wechsler.
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Author Bio
Linda Booth Sweeney is a writer, educator, and game maker. She has worked in advertising and for Outward Bound, and got her PhD in Education at Harvard, where she specialized in how to teach about living systems. Currently, as a systems educator, Linda helps education, city government officials, nonprofit leaders, Fortune 500 companies, and people of all ages to “think about systems.” Her work encompasses everything from stories to experiential games, board games, websites, animations, puppet shows, museum exhibits, computer games, and simulations. She added augmented reality to the list through the launch of HuggerX, an immersive, whole-systems learning platform for young people to learn about complex living systems. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three children. Visit Linda at https://lindaboothsweeney.com/.
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