Ponds: Nature's Aquarium

Splish-splash! It's fun trying to catch a frog, but do you know about what they eat, how they develop, or where they live? One of four tapes in the Naturally Nature series, which works with a child's innate curiosity about the natural settings he or she plays in every day, this episode focuses on ponds, which harbor a wide variety of life thanks to sunlight being able to reach the shallow bottoms. An articulate and engaging teen host explains concepts such as hibernation, feeding habits, pollution, and oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, while segments of small children playing in a pond are intercut to introduce each new topic. Along with the live footage, good-quality animation helps illustrate the lessons in this overall well produced, though rather pricey, title. Recommended, with reservations. The other titles in the series are: Dirt: Nature's Sandbox, Trees: Nature's Coolers and Clouds: Nature's Sprinklers. Aud: K, E. (E. Gieschen)