Beyond the Pond

K-Gr 2--Kuefler answers the age-old question, "What lies beneath?" in this tale of transformation and wonder. Ernest D. is a curious boy living in an ordinary house. He is also in need of something fun to do. So one day, he decides to explore the depths of his pond. His unsuccessful attempts to plumb it using a stick, a fishing pole, and a stone lead him to conclude that his pond must be bottomless. Thrilled by this realization, he gathers exploration gear and dives in with his dog. At first, they are met with familiar pond life--fish and frogs--but soon some unexpected discoveries reveal themselves: squid, sharks, and sunken treasures. Eventually, Ernest surfaces into a fantastical world. Here dinosaurs roam the Earth with squirrels, monkeys, and a mouse riding a miniature unicorn. Then these joyous sights give way to scary shadows, bats, and monsters. In a scene reminiscent of Sendak's Max and his Wild Things, Ernest D. bravely banishes the brutes and is rewarded with a magnificent rainbow sunrise. Now completely satisfied with his "exceptional" discovery, he swims back to his end of the pond, where his house and all that surround it no longer seem ordinary at all. Ernest D.'s change in perception is reflected in color and detail. In the beginning, his world is empty and gray. Upon his return, light and life abound. Kuefler uses a combination of mixed media and photographed textures in his digital illustrations on heavy matte paper to create a nearly tangible reading experience. VERDICT Fans of Mac Barnett's Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (Candlewick, 2014), visionaries, and adventurers alike will appreciate this imaginative offering.--Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA

Newcomer Kuefler reveals an impressive toolbox of visual storytelling skills in a story whose wide-eyed characters and broad washes of limpid hues carry echoes of Jon Klassen and Wes Anderson. His hero, Ernest D., bored of his house and his town, gazes into the pond in his backyard, trying unsuccessfully to sound its depths. It's bottomless, he realizes, and he leaps for joy: "Oh, how exceptional!" He and his trusty dog dive in, and the camera pulls back to reveal, with a grin, dark, deep water where the shadows of sharks and squid lurk. Equipped with a flashlight, camera, and wooden sword, the two emerge to find a parallel world crammed with all the adventure a bold child could want, from a tiny mouse astride a unicorn to a terrifying, gigantic clawed paw that reaches out to grab him. When Ernest D. and his dog return, "His town looked a little less ordinary... Beyond every street and silent corner was a place unexplored." It's a witty, auspicious debut. Ages 4-8. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Oct.)