Description: Through eleven delightful poems, this book shares the varied lives of the creatures living in a pond across all four seasons. With its perfect balance of woodcut-print illustrations, beautiful poetry, and scientific information, this book received the 2006 Caldecott Honor Award. A pond is home to countless living things, full of wonder all year round. Within it, creatures are born, grow, change, eat and are eaten, and eventually fade away. This book tells eleven of their stories through verse. Each poem, shaped around a creature's life cycle, a moment in its existence, or its unique ecological traits, invites readers to look at the world of the pond with fresh, warm-hearted eyes. ^^Into the Mud^^ The sun hangs low, and cold seeps into the dark water. No more bugs now, no more days in the sun. One last breath, one last look at the light, and then—down into the mud. I bury myself in the mud that welcomes me every year. In the deep darkness, my eyes close, and my heart slows to the rhythm of winter. Goodbye, goodbye! Don't forget the warm days. Don't forget the bright, fresh days. Don't forget me. Please remember. — from the text Author: Joyce Sidman Awards: 2010 Caldecott Honor, 2006 Caldecott Honor Recent works: Red Sings from Treetops, Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors, I'm Sorry... It's Okay..., and one other title — 4 titles in total About: An author and poet who has taught children at school and written newspaper columns. She won the 2006 Caldecott Honor Award for Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Her other books include Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness, and Eureka! Poems About Inventors. Illustrator: Beckie Prange Recent works: (none listed) About: A printmaker by trade, she has studied natural science illustration separately and holds a background in biology. Her illustrated works include Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Translator: Lee Sang-hee Recent works: Ddallang Ddallang Ddallang-gom, Suro's Spring Goddess, Picture Books: Korean Authors, and 260 other titles About: Born in Busan in 1960, she made her literary debut in 1987 when her poetry won the JoongAng Ilbo Spring Literary Contest. She writes poetry and picture book texts, and translates foreign picture books into Korean. She also runs a picture-book-focused children's library called 'Pinks Picture Book Bus' and 'Lee Sang-hee's Picture Book Workshop.' Her written works include the picture books Dosolsan Seonunsa, Teacher, the Foolish Doctor, and Suro, the Goddess of Spring, and her translated works include If You..., The Secret Party, and Picnic.