Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond, written by Steve Voake, illustrated by Jessica Messerve, 87 pp RL 2


Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond is book two in a series written by Steve Voake and illustrated by Jessica Messerve.  If you remember my review of  lat year Daisy Dawson is on Her Way, the first book in the series, you know how enchanted I am by this fabulous series of books for emerging readers.  

Animal lover and dawdler, Daisy is always late for school.  This is especially so after she encounters a magical yellow butterfly that gives her the gift of talking with the animals.  When Daisy is given a camera for her birthday (and some smelly Strawberry Surprise perfume) and a school assignment to study animals in their habitats, she sets of into the wilds behind her home.  Trixie McDixie, the barn car, tells Daisy that she thinks two otters have moved into the pond upstream and maybe they should go investigate.  The squirrels, Uncle Cyril and his water loving niece and nephew Hazel and Conker, join in the expedition.


The group makes it across the dangerous Darkwater Sump to the pond where they meet the cautious otters, Dampsy and Spray, who are fascinated by her camera and end up posing for Daisy.  After the photo shoot, the otters invite Daisy to swim with them and Conker and Hazel gleefully join in.





A storm breaks as Daisy, Boom and the squirrels are heading home and crossing Darkwater Sump proves even more dangerous than the first time. When Hazel falls out of the crossing tree and into the river, both Daisy and Boom have to be brave in ways they never have before. Don't worry, though, all ends well for Daisy and her friends and she has some wonderful pictures to add to her habitat project when she gets home.



Here is a sneak peek of book three, Daisy Dawson and the Big Snow, an excerpt of which appears at the end of Daisy Dawson and the Secret Pond.  Daisy has the pleasure of meeting Shirelle the sheep and her lambkin, Lillian on a snowy afternnoon.  Unfortunately, Woolverton, a lamb, has gone missing and Daisy and Boom, along with the herder dog Ricky Round-up, must find him.



















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