Educator and science writer Arabella S. Buckley teaches children about various animals living near ponds and rivers, that they feel may inspired to explore and learn more about the great outdoors.

We are told of the ingenuity of the riverside and pond creatures, how they are adapted to the conditions of the water, and the smaller insects, other pond life and plants they consume in their diet. Experienced in the study science and nature and as an educator of young children, Arabella Buckley describes the frogs, otters, dragonflies and other such waterside animals in a style which provokes curiosity and interest in young readers.

The later chapters of this book introduce the plant life of the rivers and ponds. Buckley is keen to create a picture of the entire habitat, the relationships between the kinds of animals there, and the beauty of witnessing this corner of nature in action. Though this book is but an introduction to the subject, the author’s passion and ability shines.