Clean Water Archives -

Picture Book Review – I Am Today

February 10, 2022
goodreadswithronna
Ages 4-8, Children's Book Reviews, Clean Water, Environment & Ecology, Juvenile Fiction, Oceans & Seas, Science Studies

I AM TODAY

Written by Matt Forrest Esenwine

Illustrated by Patricia Pessoa

(POW! Kids Books; $17.99; Ages 4-8)

Matt Forrest Esenwine and Patricia Pessoa inspire the “next generation” to become the “today generation”
in I Am Today, an evocative story of a young girl standing up for what she believes in.

From POW! Kids Books: “While playing on the beach in her coastal town, a young girl comes across a sea turtle ensnared by a wire. Her town is home to a factory that has provided jobs for many of her neighbors, including her mother, but it has also been dumping garbage from a pipe into the waters…Unable to forget the sight of the struggling turtle, she inspires the townspeople to compel the factory to change its destructive ways.”

I Am Today int1 — Interior spread from I Am Today written by illustrated by Patricia Pessoa, POW! Kids Books ©2022.

A true picture book, the story in Pessoa’s lively art is never alluded to in Esenwine’s spare, poetic text.

I Am Today int2 — Interior art from I Am Today written by illustrated by Patricia Pessoa, POW! Kids Books ©2022.

Yet they pair beautifully to give readers a concrete example of how one life can make a huge impact for good.

In a recent interview with Esenwine, the author states that his inspiration for the book came as he was navigating the COVID pandemic with his children. “I was wondering how to help my children feel like they had some control of their life…I spent some time kicking around ideas, and the phrase “I am today” came to me. I thought about that for a while and realized that kids are always being told they are the “Future”…but what if a child doesn’t want to wait?”

This thought-provoking read-aloud would make an excellent addition to the elementary school classroom as teachers cover science and social studies topics like conservation and social change, but it could also be used as a writing prompt for persuasive essays during language arts.

• Reviewed by Roxanne Troup

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Kids Picture Book – Walking for Water

WALKING FOR WATER:
How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality

Written by Susan Hughes

Illustrated by Nicole Miles

(Kids Can Press; $17.99, Ages 6-8)

walking for water book cover

There are over a dozen terrific books in the Citizen Kid series and the latest, Walking for Water by award-winning author Susan Hughes, is no exception. This story, inspired by “the recent experience of a thoughtful and fair-minded 13-year-old Malawian boy” takes readers to the landlocked country in southeastern Africa to meet eight-year-old twins Victor and his sister, Linesi.

Readers know right from the start that the pair are close. On this day, however, the two who usually do so many things together, including attending school, will now be apart. In Victor and Linesi’s community when girls turn eight they are expected to leave school and help with chores. That includes fetching water five times a day, water used for “drinking, cooking and washing.” Victor enjoys school so he feels bad that his sister has to miss out on the learning just because she’s a girl.

int1 walking for water women by the river — Interior spread from Walking for Water written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Nicole Miles, Kids Can Press ©2021.

When a new teacher asks the students to think about gender equality in their own lives, Victor doesn’t have to look far to find an example. And when he tries to share what he learned in school with his sister, Victor sees she is too exhausted from her day’s work to concentrate on math. This realization prompts Victor to propose a plan to his mama and sister, one that involves taking turns doing the chores enabling Linesi to alternate days at school with him. Yes!! I cheered when I discovered the selfless gesture of Victor.

int2 walking for water victor thinking — Interior spread from Walking for Water written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Nicole Miles, Kids Can Press ©2021.

This caring approach to gender equality is not only welcomed by Victor’s teacher but it’s emulated by Victor’s best friend, Chikondi who takes over for his sister, Enifa, on alternate days. The friends can now share what they learn with their sisters who are less tired and in turn, the sisters can do the same.

Illustrator Nicole Miles brings warmth, heart, and simplicity to her illustrations. The book, described by the publisher as a graphic novel/picture book hybrid format, allows Miles to not only have fun with her art but to add more activity to the spreads. A particular favorite, with its rich earthy tones, is of Victor joining the girls and women on their way to collect water.

int3 Walking for Water by the kachere tree — Interior spread from Walking for Water written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Nicole Miles, Kids Can Press ©2021.

This hopeful, engaging, and educational story will be an eye-opener for children on many levels. It not only demonstrates the power of one innovative individual to effect change, in this case for gender equality, but it also presents traditions and lifestyles different from ours. Additionally, it shows how important the need still is for access to clean water in the 21st century. Hughes’s Author’s Note and resources as well as a glossary of Chichewa words in the back matter (which are peppered throughout the story) provide additional avenues to further explore topics raised in Walking for Water. I’m glad that Hughes chose to use the twins as her focus for this story because of the sharp contrasts between the siblings that readers will understand immediately. Hughes mentions in the back matter that change is coming to Malawi and hopefully more opportunities for girls to pursue their aspirations will follow.

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

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Kids Picture Book Review – The Big Beach Cleanup Blog Tour

THE BIG BEACH CLEANUP

Written by Charlotte Offsay

Illustrated by Katie Rewse

(Albert Whitman & Co.; $16.99, Ages 4-8)

In Charlotte Offsay’s debut picture book, The Big Beach Cleanup, the main character, Cora, is looking forward to the upcoming Crystal Beach Sandcastle Competition which she intends to win. So you can imagine her disappointment when a sign at the beach says it’s “Postponed due to beach conditions.” And what are those conditions you might wonder? The ever-growing problem of plastic and other kinds of trash that wash ashore from the ocean in addition to being left by people are ruining our beaches.

Together with her mom, the pair clean up what they can but four hands will never be enough. The next day Cora and her mom return, this time with Grandpa in tow, but the task of collecting the vast amount of litter and empties feels daunting for just six hands to tackle. Cora’s grandfather also explains how animals mistake the trash for food which further concerns the little girl. Clearly this pollution is wreaking havoc on the environment and its inhabitants. Then Cora comes up with a plan.

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TheBigBeachCleanup int1 — Interior spread from The Big Beach Cleanup written by Charlotte Offsay and illustrated by Katie Rewse, Albert Whitman & Co. ©2021.

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Maybe six hands aren’t enough to pick up all the trash, but many hands might be. So Cora creates flyers to post all over town with her mom’s help. When initially people don’t seem to respond to the flyers, Cora’s mom explains that people are busy and there are lots of ways to reduce trash such as cutting back on one-use items and not littering.

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TheBigBeachCleanup int2 — Interior spread from The Big Beach Cleanup written by Charlotte Offsay and illustrated by Katie Rewse, Albert Whitman & Co. ©2021.

Undeterred, Cora continues to ask friends and neighbors to help her in a big beach cleanup and soon “more and more and more hands joined together.” So many people pitch in for this community effort initiated by one very motivated and caring young girl that before long the competition is back on! And though ultimately Cora does not win the contest, she can claim a much bigger and enduring prize—the knowledge and self-satisfaction of having made a difference.

Katie Rewse’s art is at once simple yet expressive and optimistic for a topic like pollution. Her emphasis on conveying the variety of garbage that washes up on the beaches and is left by humans will help children get a good sense of what a big mess the trash, especially plastics, is causing for our planet.

Offsay shares important and easy-to-grasp information for young readers to learn in a relatable way. After seeing how the abundant beach litter disrupts the sandcastle event, children will hopefully realize the impact that they as individuals can have and feel empowered to fight for the cleanliness of our oceans and our beaches. Perfect for Earth Day, The Big Beach Cleanup would also be a welcome year round read for homes, schools and libraries who view environmental conservation not as an option, but as a necessity. An added bonus to buying the book is that all author proceeds from the book are being donated to Heal the Bay.

Click here to buy a book and support a local indie bookstore.

Click here to read about another environmental-themed picture book.

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Ava Dreams of Water for Earth Day 2016

April 21, 2016
goodreadswithronna
Ages 5-8, Clean Water, Earth Day, Guest Blogger, Juvenile Fiction, Nature & The Natural World

AVA DREAMS OF WATER
Written by Nancy Moss
Illustrated by Sara McCall Ephron
($18.99, Ages 5-8)

AN EARTH DAY 2016 GUEST POST

In honor of Earth Day, we’re sharing a guest post by Ava Dreams of Water author, Nancy Moss.

Ava Dreams of Water began with the image of a boy in the remote Peruvian Amazon village of Yomybato …

In the sixteen years since the publication of A Long Walk to Water, awareness of the global need for clean water has grown, but unfortunately, so has the problem. Ava Dreams of Water strives to introduce younger kids to the issue, along with ideas for how they can help, and the power of friendship and dreams. I was inspired by the work of the non-profit Rainforest Flow, which brings clean water and sanitation systems to the Peruvian Amazon. Its founder, Nancy Santullo, told me about an amazing young boy in Yomybato – where a suspension bridge and slow sand filtration system had been built – who brings people across the local river in his family’s boat. In Ava Dreams of Water, I decided to connect this boy to a child in the United States by having them meet in their dreams. With a dash of magical realism, and the wondrous illustrations by Sara McCall Ephron, the characters of Ava and Juan have a true impact on one another, as I hope the book will have on the reader/pre-reader!

Clean water is one of the most fundamental needs that humans have. Earth Day gives kids the opportunity to think about what they have, what others might be lacking, and what they can do to help. Clean, healthy drinking water is a resource that no one should take for granted! This is a global issue and, indeed, there’s a growing awareness and urgency regarding the lack of healthy water in some of our American communities as well. Books about the environment, green living, conversation, and the natural world all contribute to young readers’ breath of knowledge and curiosity. Knowing that other children do not have healthy water opens the door to empathy and action.

Ava Dreams of Water is about a real place where children just like themselves have had their lives transformed by the clean water and sanitation systems that been brought to them. Across the world, water is a health, economic, and overall quality of life issue. With a story of imagination, dreams and friendship, Ava Dreams of Water strives to embody the spirit of Earth Day by informing and inspiring a new generation of caretakers of the planet! The ability of children’s books to open minds, explore worlds, and spur creative and constructive imagination is extremely powerful. It’s our hope that Ava Dreams of Water shares the idea that it is possible to change the world for the better, one drop at a time.

A portion of the proceeds from Ava Dreams of Water goes to Rainforest Flow, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has brought clean water to villages in the Amazon of Peru since 2003.

About Nancy Moss – Nancy lives in Los Angeles with her twin sons, Gabriel and Elias. She is a former film executive and screenwriter. Learn more about Nancy and Ava Dreams of Water here.

About Sara McCall Ephron – Sara writes, illustrates, and teaches art in NYC. See more of Sara’s illustrations here.