This lovely picture book is a tribute to imagination and the wonder in everyday spaces. Ernest D. leaves his "ordinary house with too little fun" to investigate the backyard pond. After a little probing with a long stick, he concludes that his pond has no bottom, and he decides to go exploring. He dons his deep-sea diving helmet and dives down, down, down, past turtles, frogs, squid, sharks, and sunken ships, and finally resurfaces on the other side. There he finds an amazing new world with wonderful things to discover, ghoulish and ghastly things to be faced, and endless surprises around every corner. The mixed-media illustrations employ softly muted colors that complement the dreamy, otherworldly feel of the sparely written story, while background details hint at additional stories and links to his real-life backyard. The quirky cadence of the lilting text makes this a great candidate for a read-aloud, and the happy ending, a return to his surroundings, now "a little less ordinary," will resonate with young readers.

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 lifefish and frogsbut 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