Beyond the Pond

by Joseph Kuefler

Just behind an ordinary house
filled with too little fun,
Ernest D. decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond.

Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Adventure, Storytime, Fiction, Nature

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Joseph Kuefler is the author-illustrator of The Digger and the Flower, Beyond the Pond, Rulers of the Playground, and Pillow Places as well as the illustrator of The night Is for Darkness by Jonathan Stutzman. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Tina Haigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely lovely! It's not very often that I feel all warm and fuzzy immediately upon opening a book, but this was one of those times. I honestly didn't know what the book was about before reading it, but the art drew me in. It had a soft feeling to it, and the colors were rich and soothing. I also really enjoyed the feel of the pages. They didn't have a coating on them and they weren't glossy, so they felt quite pleasant to my fingertips. The story itself was really sweet and endearing, just a young boy using his imagination to go on an adventure. I highly recommend this for kids ages 4 to 8.

[Henry Herz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bored Ernest decides to plumb the depths of the pond behind his house. Accompanied by his loyal dog, he takes the readers past squid, fish, and sharks. Ernest eventually finds an opening on the other side. The magical land beyond the pond is filled with fun and exotic creatures, as well as more grim ones. Ernest learns in the end that there is wonder all around us and that things are less ordinary then they first appear.

As in Mac Barnett's SAM & DAVE DIG A HOLE, the character goes deeper and deeper to discover a new land. Ernest explores this brave new world with all the enthusiasm and energy of a young boy. The charming artwork is suggestive of a pastel version of Caldecott-winner Jon Klassen's illustrations.

As in Maurice Sendak's WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, the hero is initially frightened by some of the more ghastly creatures, but summons his courage to defeat them. He then returns home to reality with newfound wisdom that changes how he perceives the world (even if there was no hot dinner awaiting him). Author/illustrator Joseph Kuefler's work is, to quote Ernest, extraordinary.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narnia meets Where the Wild Things Are in Beyond the Pond, the tale of a young boy embarking of a voyage of the imagination (or is it?). Curious as to what lies in the pond behind his house, Ernest D. decides to explore, diving down and down (with his dog, of course!), until he finally comes to the land on the other side of the pond. Here he has many marvelous adventures, from riding on the back of a massive bird, to fleeing from a rather ghoulish (and giant) primate of some kind. When Ernest and his canine companion finally do return to their side of the pond, their new experiences give everything a different look - a different feeling...


It's difficult to believe that this beautifully-crafted picture-book marks the debut of talented newcomer Joseph Kuefler. With a story that is immensely engaging, capturing a child's creative play, and gorgeous artwork that reminded me of a more colorful Jon Klassen, this was a pleasure to peruse, and one of my favorite picture-books of 2015! Many of the visual details - the shipwreck Ernest passes on his long dive, the mouse astride a tiny unicorn, in the magical land beyond - add to the sense of enchantment, while the overall effect of the artwork is to draw the reader into the world(s) being depicted. The text itself is lovely, with moments of storytelling magic - "He dove into lightless stretches and through sunken treasures" - although I could have lived without Ernest's repeated exclamations of "Exceptional." Recommended to any reader who appreciated beautiful picture-books, or stories in which children are engaged either in imaginative play (depending on your interpretation) or exploration of other worlds.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations. I honestly wanted to crawl inside and live in this book.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Great illustrations, good voice, a nice book about the power of imagination to change our world.

[Jocelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It reminded of the Dr. Seuss book, McEliggot's Pool. This was a great story about the possibilities of the world beyond our backyard. Loved the illustrations and the sweet story that surrounded it. Look forward to his next book.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Local Boy Drowns Trying To Reach Bottom Of Pond."

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet book demonstrating imagination and getting new perspectives on our ordinary lives. I loved the illustrations!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently I have a thing for Children’s picture books about magical ponds. This was like “Where the Wild Things Are” but underwater.

[Alyssa Hague · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustration reminds me of Jon Klassen which I absolutely love. The watercolor, tones and fonts are all carefully selected and utilized. He also has great vocabulary which I appreciate for my early readers. My kids enjoy pointing out all of the details throughout this book and his others which we also own. All of Joseph Kuefler's books are thoughtful and well crafted.

[Katalina Townsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ernest D. decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond. Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever.

[Mindy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

a boy and his dog explore the depths of their pond and what's on the other side. charming, lovely. 5/5.

[Tory S. Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagined-world-with-a-friend idea, and the general feel of this story and its lone but precocious writing, remind me of things I love in Calvin and Hobbes. In this story of a boy's quiet day of imagination with his pond and his dog, the illustrations have a particularity of style that highlights both the personality of this quiet day and the mystery of his imagination. The book was particularly interesting to me because of the surprisingly advanced language thrown in, with vocabulary and grammar occasionally popping up that were not quite what I expected from a children's story. This was a delightful surprise (and led to my 4-year old on cue, "Exceptional!"). Finally, the story is wrapped in a not-quite-trivial overall principle by the end as his world was enlarged.

Well worth the librarian's choice marking by which we found it.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It's a great story of imagination, adventure, and a magical world beyond what we see with a Klassen-esque feel to the sensibility of the illustrations. Am anxious to share with my students as I think they will appreciate this story, especially with its themes of bravery, curiosity, and determination.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler alert - Where was the editor? A pond is a freshwater body of water....a shark in the pond - seriously then the author uses the word RAUCOUS!!! I am all for learning vocabulary but really - isn't this a children's book? The story line mimics the digging a hole in your backyard to China. Adorable story but just a little to non-child friendly for me.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations (they are fabulous) but have mixed feelings about the text. Lots of big words that seem out of place in a picture book...and there's really not much of a story. The child will have to fill in a lot based on the pictures. Not a bad thing, but not really what I was anticipating when I started reading.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's beyond Ernest's pond? A journey full of imagination, peril, adventure, and ultimately joy.

I did not realize the author, Kuefler was a Minnesotan. Look for this outstanding debut to be in the running for a Minnesota Book Award in 2016!

[Eden Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best picture book of the year.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to read this aloud with students and listen to them talk afterward. It is a great companion for Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, and it is exceptional!

[Liza Nahas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Exceptional" illustrations & story.

[Jasmine Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar to Sam & Dave Dig a Hole. Nice message about imagination.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story to stir the imagination of a child. The pictures facilitate it as they are clean and beautiful. I'm so glad I bought this one for our home library.

[Briana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boy dives into his pond and discovers a whole new world under there. Lacked any real excitement beyond this idea.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy reading this to my daghter at all and she figited and fussed and was very in-interested.

[Nickie Mariager-Lam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly found the story boring and without any charm.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Ernest D. might say: "An exceptional debut."

[Gita · Rating 5 out of 5]

How exceptional...!! A story about a kid named Ernest D. who decided that he will explore the depths of his pond. After several tries, he concluded that his pond has no bottom and that means a great new adventure waiting. He then gather his explorer supplies and dove to the pond with his dog. When he finally came up on the other side, he discovered a whole new world with all things unimaginable. He then returned to his pond and dove back to his real world. But now, his real world looked a little less ordinary and there are many places waiting to be explored.

A great story about adventure with amazing illustrations. It is Alice in Wonderland for boys. Although I would like to see more magical things in the world beyond the pond. But overall a great picture books. Suitable for kids ages 4 - 8.

[K Meester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sitting here reviewing this book at the library before I decide to bring it home to read to my 5 year old daughter, who has high standards for books (lol). Like most modern books these days, it lacked depth and didn’t captivate. The illustrations are okay, very similar to so many current books. I find that authors these days lack any real writing skills and thus write vaguely and mysteriously, expecting us to always fill in the gaps from looking at the pictures. While that is okay sometimes, I am finding most books do this now and I’m annoyed! I also find the writing doesn’t flow well, with words used out of place or strangely just to use a big word. We love our home library of classic books that are well written and hold your interest with their words, not relying on pictures. Anyways, find this book pretty boring to the breadth of children’s books we have read. Going to pass.

[Heather Knight]

This book is about a little boy named Ernest D. He gets bored one day and decides to explore the pond in his back yard. Ernest believes that the pond has no end and decides to try to dive down as far as he can go. On the other side of the pond Ernest discovers a whole new world just for him. Ernest becomes an explorer and finds all that there is to do in the new world. When Ernest returns home, he sees his home in a whole new way.

I found this book to be incredible. It is very creative and fun. The illustrations help complete the book and give the imaginative experience.

This is a great book to help teach that sometimes we have to look at things from another perspective.

[Kara Marsee]

A boy who feels things are too ordinary, explores his "exceptional" pond with no bottom. He comes up in a land where things are so much more interesting: "The other side of his pond was big. And raucous. It was oh so tiny, oh so tall and every shape in between." But it was also "ghoulish, and ghastly. It was all things unimaginable." But Ernest D. was the bravest of explorers. He battled and brawled until the moon ducked low." And when he returns, the viewer is given hints that the other side of his pond was really just his back yard seen in a different light.