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A Pond Full of Ink
This delightful collection of poems offers children and the young at heart a refreshing, inventive look at the world from the well-known Dutch author, Annie Schmidt. The rollicking poems tell the stories of such intriguing characters as three elderly otters who long to go boating but find themselves biking instead, animated furniture that comes to life when no one is home, and Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve who nest up in a tree!The poems in A Pond Full of Ink transform ordinary events and places into extraordinary adventures full of imagination, much like the work of Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky. Accompanying the poems is bold and expressive artwork that makes this book too charming to resist.
34 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Annie M.G. Schmidt
328 books227 followersAnna Maria Geertruida Schmidt was a Dutch writer.
Although she wrote a variety of poems, songs, books, plays, musicals, and radio- en television drama, she is known best for her children's literature, for which she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1988. She committed suicide a day after her 84th birthday and was buried in Amsterdam.
Although she wrote a variety of poems, songs, books, plays, musicals, and radio- en television drama, she is known best for her children's literature, for which she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1988. She committed suicide a day after her 84th birthday and was buried in Amsterdam.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 30, 2021
The illustrations in this whimsical, quirky volume of children's poetry are the icing on the cake. If you are a Roald Dahl or Shel Silverstein fan, then you might also enjoy the works of Annie M.G. Schmidt. You will read about a fairy tale author who replenishes his pen in his inky pond, three elderly otters who must ride bicycles on the moat as there are signs keeping them away from the boats and trains, the tale of Brian Brink that grows exponentially in the fertile field of gossip, the furniture pieces that take advantage of the legs, and so much more. . . Little people will relish the absurdities and adults will appreciate the many glimpses of life as we know it. I want to thank Kathryn T. Isaacs and her recommendation of this little volume in Excellent Books for Early and Eager Readers.
May 22, 2014
International children’s authors are great. They’re just not particularly well known in America. There are various reasons for this. Some of it has to do with the dearth of international children’s book importing. Bringing a book over sometimes requires translation, and there’s often little hope of the writer or illustrator touring if English isn’t a second language. Then add to this the fact that all the major children’s book awards in the U.S. have to go to American residents. Once in a while there’s an exception to these rules, of course. You’ll get a Shaun Tan or a Mem Fox (both Aussies, but you know what I mean). Generally, however, we dwell in ignorance and have to make an effort to know who else is out there in the world. Consider then the case of Annie M.G. Schmidt. If international children’s book authors are rarities on our fair shores, what are we to make of international children’s poets? Finding poetry for children here in the U.S. is a tricky enough proposition as it is. Add in the international element and it’s little surprise that Schmidt’s name rings few bells. Fortunately, our ignorance is our children’s gain. A Pond Full of Ink proves a charming collection of Schmidt’s work, translated expertly, original to its core.
“A fairy tale author I know / starts work every day when the roosters crow.” So begins the first poem in this collection of children’s poet Annie M.G. Schmidt. Twelve poems, judiciously edited, perfectly selected, are paired with the ribald art of illustrator Sieb Posthuma. Readers who flip through the pages will encounter everything from thieves that covet the moon to a teakettle with musical aspirations. The end result is a collection that is silly, subversive, and sly by turns.
So what do we know about Annie M.G. Schmidt? Well, I looked about and heard at least one person refer to her as, “something like the Dutch Astrid Lindgren, [who] never broke through in the English-speaking world.” That would be translator David Colmer's description. Looking her up I found various sites praising her, saying things like “almost everyone in the Netherlands is able to recite at least a line or two from one of her songs or poems. Her children's books have become a national institution.” We might call her the Dutch Dr. Seuss then. As this is pretty much the only book of Ms. Schmidt’s that we have here in the U.S., A Pond Full of Ink has a lot of promise to fulfill. Fortunately, and as it just so happens, the book is charming. Akin to something along the lines of Shel Silverstein in terms of the unconnected ridiculous, Schmidt dwells on the silly and the thoughtful alike. Every person I know who has read this book has his or her own individual favorites. For my part, I was quite partial to “The Furniture”. Kids will pick their preferences. In fact, the book would actually be ideal for children’s book groups since each child would have their own personal faves.
Just as I was unaware of the existence of Ms. Schmidt, so too was I unfamiliar with the art of Sieb Posthuma. Dutch too, Mr. Posthuma gives this book a distinct flavor entirely of his own. In fact, a little digging found that for this book Mr. Posthuma actually won the 2012 Gouden Penseel or Golden Paintbrush, the top prize for children’s books originally published in The Netherlands. One sees why. There’s a sly, clever quality to Posthuma’s art here. From the vampire fanged little girl of “Nice and Naughty” to bespectacled deer of “Aunty Jo” you can’t help but like these characters. Best of all, the book isn’t afraid to take a moment to just enjoy the art. There are several wordless two-page spreads that offer a quiet accompaniment to their preceding poems. Like the lush greenery of “Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve” or the blue and red vision of sea and land after “Three Elderly Otters”, Posthuma has been given the chance to muse.
It’s not that I haven’t heard objections to the book. Some folks I’ve shown this too have questioned the translation, saying that only some poems really spoke to them. For my part, I think the translation keen. For one thing, David Colmer, the translator, had to translate rhyme. I just can’t even begin to imagine how hard that must be. Not only must the poems scan but rhyme as well? It’s at this point that one begins to wonder how the invisible hand of the translator plays into the text. With some digging I discovered that David Colmer is an Australian translator of Dutch literature based in Amsterdam. He seems to do particularly well when it comes to translating poetry and works for children. As a four-time winner of the David Reid Poetry Translation Prize, the man also appears to know what he is doing. I cannot even begin to fathom how one aligns scansion and rhyme in translation. All I can do is trust that Colmer does it well.
For my part, the only real objection I had to the book was the design. The poems are written in a typewriter-like font. No problems there. But occasionally the poems appear in large, unwieldy clumps. When integrated with the text, as they are with the poems “Three Elderly Otters” or “The Man Who Writes Fairy Tales” they can be lovely. But in cases like “Belinda Hated Getting Clean . . .” even adult readers will feel daunted when faced with a full page of tiny poetic type without so much as a break or an indentation to be seen. I don’t suppose there was much that could have been done about this when the book was translated for America, but it’s a pity just the same.
It is encouraging to think that though Ms. Schmidt was never brought to America in her lifetime, posthumously her words can fulfill their destiny decades after her death. A Pond Full of Ink does not attempt to be anything other than what it is. A short, smart selection of fun poems for kids of every age. A small clever treat, consider its loaded silliness for your own personal collection.
For ages 7 and up.
“A fairy tale author I know / starts work every day when the roosters crow.” So begins the first poem in this collection of children’s poet Annie M.G. Schmidt. Twelve poems, judiciously edited, perfectly selected, are paired with the ribald art of illustrator Sieb Posthuma. Readers who flip through the pages will encounter everything from thieves that covet the moon to a teakettle with musical aspirations. The end result is a collection that is silly, subversive, and sly by turns.
So what do we know about Annie M.G. Schmidt? Well, I looked about and heard at least one person refer to her as, “something like the Dutch Astrid Lindgren, [who] never broke through in the English-speaking world.” That would be translator David Colmer's description. Looking her up I found various sites praising her, saying things like “almost everyone in the Netherlands is able to recite at least a line or two from one of her songs or poems. Her children's books have become a national institution.” We might call her the Dutch Dr. Seuss then. As this is pretty much the only book of Ms. Schmidt’s that we have here in the U.S., A Pond Full of Ink has a lot of promise to fulfill. Fortunately, and as it just so happens, the book is charming. Akin to something along the lines of Shel Silverstein in terms of the unconnected ridiculous, Schmidt dwells on the silly and the thoughtful alike. Every person I know who has read this book has his or her own individual favorites. For my part, I was quite partial to “The Furniture”. Kids will pick their preferences. In fact, the book would actually be ideal for children’s book groups since each child would have their own personal faves.
Just as I was unaware of the existence of Ms. Schmidt, so too was I unfamiliar with the art of Sieb Posthuma. Dutch too, Mr. Posthuma gives this book a distinct flavor entirely of his own. In fact, a little digging found that for this book Mr. Posthuma actually won the 2012 Gouden Penseel or Golden Paintbrush, the top prize for children’s books originally published in The Netherlands. One sees why. There’s a sly, clever quality to Posthuma’s art here. From the vampire fanged little girl of “Nice and Naughty” to bespectacled deer of “Aunty Jo” you can’t help but like these characters. Best of all, the book isn’t afraid to take a moment to just enjoy the art. There are several wordless two-page spreads that offer a quiet accompaniment to their preceding poems. Like the lush greenery of “Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve” or the blue and red vision of sea and land after “Three Elderly Otters”, Posthuma has been given the chance to muse.
It’s not that I haven’t heard objections to the book. Some folks I’ve shown this too have questioned the translation, saying that only some poems really spoke to them. For my part, I think the translation keen. For one thing, David Colmer, the translator, had to translate rhyme. I just can’t even begin to imagine how hard that must be. Not only must the poems scan but rhyme as well? It’s at this point that one begins to wonder how the invisible hand of the translator plays into the text. With some digging I discovered that David Colmer is an Australian translator of Dutch literature based in Amsterdam. He seems to do particularly well when it comes to translating poetry and works for children. As a four-time winner of the David Reid Poetry Translation Prize, the man also appears to know what he is doing. I cannot even begin to fathom how one aligns scansion and rhyme in translation. All I can do is trust that Colmer does it well.
For my part, the only real objection I had to the book was the design. The poems are written in a typewriter-like font. No problems there. But occasionally the poems appear in large, unwieldy clumps. When integrated with the text, as they are with the poems “Three Elderly Otters” or “The Man Who Writes Fairy Tales” they can be lovely. But in cases like “Belinda Hated Getting Clean . . .” even adult readers will feel daunted when faced with a full page of tiny poetic type without so much as a break or an indentation to be seen. I don’t suppose there was much that could have been done about this when the book was translated for America, but it’s a pity just the same.
It is encouraging to think that though Ms. Schmidt was never brought to America in her lifetime, posthumously her words can fulfill their destiny decades after her death. A Pond Full of Ink does not attempt to be anything other than what it is. A short, smart selection of fun poems for kids of every age. A small clever treat, consider its loaded silliness for your own personal collection.
For ages 7 and up.
November 25, 2019
I didn’t notice that this book was poetry when I reserved it from my library. It was disappointing after reading Schmidt’s hilarious novel, The Cat Who Came in off the Roof, that I gave 5 stars. It’s okay poetry, but I have several friends who write more entertaining poetry for kids. I suspect that translating rhymed verse is much harder than keeping the humor intact in a novel.
My favorite poem is “Nice and Naughty,” which seemed to me a child’s response to “The Goops” by Gelett Burgess that delighted me as a child. “Nice and Naughty” begins
“I’ve had enough! I’m not a lamb!
I don’t want to say hello!
I don’t want to say “Yes sir, yes ma’am,”
or hear about how big I am…
as if I didn’t know.
I’ll stay out in the yard all day
until I’m sure they’ve gone away!”
If I loved the other poems as much, this book would get 5 stars. Of course, the target audience probably enjoys it more than I.
My favorite poem is “Nice and Naughty,” which seemed to me a child’s response to “The Goops” by Gelett Burgess that delighted me as a child. “Nice and Naughty” begins
“I’ve had enough! I’m not a lamb!
I don’t want to say hello!
I don’t want to say “Yes sir, yes ma’am,”
or hear about how big I am…
as if I didn’t know.
I’ll stay out in the yard all day
until I’m sure they’ve gone away!”
If I loved the other poems as much, this book would get 5 stars. Of course, the target audience probably enjoys it more than I.
January 25, 2018
I picked this up because somewhere I read about this as a delightful Dutch Shel Silverstein and thought 'ok!' It is probably perfectly lovely in Dutch, but I am sorry to say that this will not capture my child's ear because the translation is awkward, the rhymes are forced, and the meter is absent. Even a basic limerick would be more natural and thus better received by one's hearing. What a shame because the gist of the poems are indeed childishly subversive which would otherwise delight both my inner and biological children.
The illustrations ARE gorgeous though.
My apologies to anyone who has heard/read this in the original language with adoration.
The illustrations ARE gorgeous though.
My apologies to anyone who has heard/read this in the original language with adoration.
December 29, 2019
De tekeningen zijn om bij te watertanden, Marleen en ik hebben zoveel plezier beleefd aan het bekijken van ieder detail.
De gedichten zijn een genot om voor te lezen, de cadans is prettig en de tekst voelt grappig en natuurlijk.
De gedichten zijn een genot om voor te lezen, de cadans is prettig en de tekst voelt grappig en natuurlijk.
February 14, 2021
A Pond Full of Ink by Annie M. G. Schmidt, illustrated by Sieb Posthuma, and translated by David Colmer. This text was published in 1978, first published in 2011 in Amsterdam, and the english printed book edition was published in 2014. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers is the publisher. It is 34 pages and it’s dimensions are 8.25 x 0.11 x 10.5 inches.
This charming and playful collection of poems from the Dutch poet, Annie Schmidt, gives children and their parents a renewed sense of wonder in the world. A Pond Full of Ink will encourage a creative perspective. It is labeled as suitable for readers ranging from 6-10 years. But, this book could be appropriate for years 10-18 due to the length, wordiness, and complexity of the writing.
Each narrative poem has a beginning, middle, and end. It starts with a situation and ends with acceptance of the situation or a solution to it. The poems in this book have direct relation to its illustrations and they often reflect the humorous and playful parts of each spread. This created excitement, rhyming, word play and flow to keep the readers engaged. A Pond Full of Ink would be an interesting and fun homework assignment or summer reading assignment.
This charming and playful collection of poems from the Dutch poet, Annie Schmidt, gives children and their parents a renewed sense of wonder in the world. A Pond Full of Ink will encourage a creative perspective. It is labeled as suitable for readers ranging from 6-10 years. But, this book could be appropriate for years 10-18 due to the length, wordiness, and complexity of the writing.
Each narrative poem has a beginning, middle, and end. It starts with a situation and ends with acceptance of the situation or a solution to it. The poems in this book have direct relation to its illustrations and they often reflect the humorous and playful parts of each spread. This created excitement, rhyming, word play and flow to keep the readers engaged. A Pond Full of Ink would be an interesting and fun homework assignment or summer reading assignment.
October 12, 2023
The oeuvre of Annie M. G. Schmidt is said to be closely connected to Dutch culture and banal Dutch everyday life. Debt to this fact her literary works may have been so scarcely translated and relatively late disclosed outside the Netherlands. Award-winning translator David Colmer is making a wonderful achievement in transferring many legendary poems to the English language conserving her witty humor and ironic tone. It is phenomenal that absurdistic children's poems, written 55 - 75 years ago still can sound so vivid and fresh. Colmer makes Schmidt 'great again' .
September 17, 2023
A reprint of a 1978 book, A Pond Full of Ink is a beautifully illustrated slender book of poetry for young readers. The poems are fun, and the illustrations definitely have a 70s vibe to them, which in fact reminded me of books from my childhood in the 70s. All in all a delightful read.
April 4, 2018
Als dit aan mij als kind was voorgelezen, had ik sommige gedichten gewoon eng gevonden.
February 9, 2019
This book was full of cute and funny poems about all sorts of odd topics. It even reminded me a little bit of Shel Silverstein. The illustrations were well-done too.
December 30, 2021
The poems remind me of Shel Silverstein and the illustrations of 70’s cartoons a la Schoolhouse Rock.
January 18, 2023
Open Library.
February 10, 2017
Those are great poems and illustrations are wonderful.
June 27, 2014
My review from the San Francisco Book Review:
There are few picture-book poem collections that will keep both boys and girls of the eight-year-old to twelve-year-old crowd interested, but now there is a new one that will do just that. Poet Annie M. G. Schmidt is a native of the Netherlands, but is not a common household name in this country. Perhaps this book will change that. This collection of poems is silly, funny, incredibly inventive, and will make readers of all ages laugh out loud. Since these are translated poems, and while masterfully done by David Colmer, sometimes the meter is a little less than perfect. But it doesn’t take long for readers to become totally unaware of that little problem. Then the nonsense just takes over and there is nothing to do but enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. The characters in these story poems are perfect for the nonsense factor, and the stories are complete and marvelously irreverent. The illustrations by Sieb Posthuma are just about as silly and funny and inventive as the poems. This is a delightful book that children from eight to a hundred and eight will read over and over. Don’t miss this one.
“Isabella
Caramella
has a cuddly teddy bear
and a cuddly brown gorilla and a green-and-red check rabbit
and she’s got a crocodile – his name is Crabbit.”
There are few picture-book poem collections that will keep both boys and girls of the eight-year-old to twelve-year-old crowd interested, but now there is a new one that will do just that. Poet Annie M. G. Schmidt is a native of the Netherlands, but is not a common household name in this country. Perhaps this book will change that. This collection of poems is silly, funny, incredibly inventive, and will make readers of all ages laugh out loud. Since these are translated poems, and while masterfully done by David Colmer, sometimes the meter is a little less than perfect. But it doesn’t take long for readers to become totally unaware of that little problem. Then the nonsense just takes over and there is nothing to do but enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. The characters in these story poems are perfect for the nonsense factor, and the stories are complete and marvelously irreverent. The illustrations by Sieb Posthuma are just about as silly and funny and inventive as the poems. This is a delightful book that children from eight to a hundred and eight will read over and over. Don’t miss this one.
“Isabella
Caramella
has a cuddly teddy bear
and a cuddly brown gorilla and a green-and-red check rabbit
and she’s got a crocodile – his name is Crabbit.”
July 17, 2016
First published in the 1970s. Quite long amusing poem stories, translated from the Dutch, reminiscent of Shel Silverstein. The author is Annie Schmidt, beloved in The Netherlands. Some might be hard to appreciate in the story line, but some show a quirky and fun sense of humor, like one titled "Furniture" when the furniture went for a walk, at least those who had "legs", and another about a family who live in a tree. The wife is concerned about the children falling, but the husband holds on, saying how much fun it is. The illustrations are delightfully silly, sometimes showing off a poem in a double-page spread "after" the poem.
May 12, 2014
Twelve quirky and imaginative poems show the world in a very different world in this collection that looks at common occurrences from a unique lens. For instance, "Nice and Naughty" describes how one mischievous tot simply cannot bear to behave in the proper fashion and prefers to behave badly. The accompanying illustration for that poem, created through drawing and collage, shows how she has tied the mouth of a dog completely shut and tied the left and right shoes of several men and women together. Daringly, there are a couple of double-page spreads that consist solely of art.
June 6, 2014
Poetry that tells stories of silly creatures and absurd situations and brings to mind the work of Shel Silverstein mixed with Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss. Lots of rhyming, some nonsense and imagination for pages and pages; there's so much to like here.
Ink and collage artwork highlights the humor of each selection. Recommended for PreK-2+. This book would work really well as a collection of bedtime stories, share a poem each night before bed and it'll give young minds much to dream about.
Ink and collage artwork highlights the humor of each selection. Recommended for PreK-2+. This book would work really well as a collection of bedtime stories, share a poem each night before bed and it'll give young minds much to dream about.
October 20, 2014
I can't say I particularly enjoy Schmidt's poetry. It reminds me too much of kids that write poems and insist they have to rhyme. However, if they were translated from Dutch, that's not her fault, is it? I'm thinking that they didn't translate well. So that's NOt Schmidt's fault, which makes the poems extremely difficult to rate. BUT, I LOVE the illustrations. They're simple but with lots and lots of lines and squiggles and zentangly-like doodles.
January 18, 2015
Original beginning and having the 'a' on the front endpage and 'z' on the back.
My tongue got a bit twisted on a number of the lines as I tried to read them aloud, but I would share a few with students:
"The Man Who Writes Fairy Tales," "Brian Brink," and "Belinda Hated Getting Clean"
Some remind me of Shel Silverstein's peoms.
Illustrations are sketch-like, pen and ink lines filled in with muted colors.
My tongue got a bit twisted on a number of the lines as I tried to read them aloud, but I would share a few with students:
"The Man Who Writes Fairy Tales," "Brian Brink," and "Belinda Hated Getting Clean"
Some remind me of Shel Silverstein's peoms.
Illustrations are sketch-like, pen and ink lines filled in with muted colors.
July 5, 2017
This 2014 US edition of previously published work provides 12 quirky poems translated from the author's original Dutch. Although intrigued, I was not satisfied in the end. My guess is that the poems probably maintain their flow and thought in the original, but the translations don't always work. I can't imagine translating poetry.
January 12, 2012
Wat zo leuk is aan dit boek? 100 heerlijke gedichten van Annie nu ook ( en niet onverdienstelijk) in het Engels vertaald. En zeer origineel geillustreerd door Sieb Posthuma. Eyecandy and taalsnoepjes. Lezen en cadeau geven. Hij is mooi!
June 19, 2014
Super charming illustrations to clever poems on familiar themes. I can see being a kid and studying the pics for how the Tree, for example, comes to accommodate a family. Beyond Shel S. there's a whole world of inventiveness and outrageous looks at how we humans are so peculiar.
July 22, 2014
The premise of the poems are quite clever, and I think the illustrations are quite nice and unique. I suspect that the translator is at fault with the execution of the poems, which came across as a bit awkward.
August 17, 2014
Great! A different, original source for fun poetry with astounding color illustrations. The poems are on the long side, so probably better suited for slightly older crowds, but aptly silly. I'm so glad there's a new poem to read aloud or two.
November 8, 2014
Five stars for the superb illustrations. The poems are odd, not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but I repeatedly felt the disconnect of translation. I'm not sure whether that is because of meaning or rhythm lost in translation or genuine cultural disconnect.
July 13, 2012
Bijna dagelijks met Elin! De scherpe humorvolle versjes van Annie MG en de fantasievolle prenten van Sieb Posthuma.
April 6, 2014
this is the only kind of poetry i like to read. clever, funny, and has a rhythm to it. i adored the drawings as well.
not-in-library
April 30, 2014a pond full of ink
February 10, 2017
The art is real cute and reminds me a little bit of Ronald Dahl's illustrations. The poems read like Shel Silverstein books, which makes me happy.
Read
March 25, 2015Not my cup of tea, but I tend to like a consistent meter, which these definitely do NOT have. Maybe they work better in their original Dutch...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews