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Book Bundles: Water, Water Everywhere
A new book for middle-grade readers discusses how water gets to our homes, emphasizing that access to clean water is a human right. Water also flows in two new picture books for a younger audience, thanks to a youthful four-billion-year-old drop of water and a lost little iceberg. For more related books, click any of the subject tags below. Book Bundles are short weekly lists of recommended new books for a variety of age levels. Browse more Book Bundles in our Booklists Archive.
(3)
4-6
ThinkCities series.
Illustrated by
Katy Dockrill.
"The history of cities begins with water." Curtis clearly explains the process of transporting water from watersheds and aquifers to cities, mentioning the feats of engineering that have been developed over the centuries. Making effective use of real-world examples, she covers methods of distribution, the cost and danger of neglecting infrastructure, and the need for equitable and safe distribution of water resources. Featuring inclusive and diverse city scenes, the muted-color mixed-media illustrations ably support the accessible text. A glossary, "What can we do to help?" suggestions, related websites, and three recommended books are appended. A water-cycle diagram is included on the end papers.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Grant Snider.
Little Blue, an iceberg, breaks off from his iceberg parents--"CRACK!"--and begins an odyssey that takes him far from home and through the water cycle. As with any hero's journey, there are obstacles to overcome: Blue survives melting, evaporating, and condensing. Now a cloud, Blue travels above the ocean and meets some friends who help him get back north to his (still iceberg) parents. This grand adventure has plenty of satisfying tension; the dynamic cut-paper, colored-pencil, and white ink illustrations add color and depth to the pages. An author's note talks about the water cycle, threats to polar ice, and three ways to "fight climate change."
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(3)
K-3
This book stars Drop--a drop of water--who happily changes form through the millennia ("I'm four and half billion!"), demonstrating the concept that water is a limited resource. Unless she's a solid or gas, Drop appears in the lively illustrations as a light blue splotch (the chatty media note states that "Drop loves to drop from a dropper!"). As the main text follows Drop's journey--from oceans to air to clouds to glaciers--she adds upbeat comments: e.g., "Here I gooo!" and "Guess I gotta be cool with this!" In the end, Drop makes her way to "YOU!" in the form of food and drink, a satisfying conclusion to the engaging adventure.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
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