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Water Day
CCBC Review:
In a young girl’s Cuban village, the water required to bathe, do laundry, cook, hydrate, and flush the toilet does not come from taps. In this village, water is delivered by the water man, who arrives in a truck or with a horse and wagon and a big tank. From there, the water is dispersed and stored in personal tanks for use by individual families. Water days are festive and hectic. On this day, the girl’s mami patches their hose while her papi repairs their pump. Her bisabuelita tells her that when she was a child, there was rain enough to fill their wells and big clay jars. But now, “everything” has changed. “Weather. Rivers. Groundwater. Lakes.” Still, they are fortunate; the water man is here, and after him comes the fish lady to deliver the “silvery little peces” that eat mosquito larvae from the stored water, preventing the spread of malaria. Once the family’s personal needs have been met, the girl helps Bisabuelita water “the toes of thirsty trees.” The brilliant blue of the water tank stands out in a mostly earth-toned palette in the painted cut-paper illustrations. Spanish words are integrated into a text that acknowledges the global water crisis while maintaining an upbeat—but never naïve—tone. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Olivia Sua
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Climate Change
Cubans and Cuban Americans
Environmental Challenges
Families
Natural Resources
Spanish Language
Diversity subject:
Latine
Publishers:
Atheneum, Simon & Schuster
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781665918718
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Strickland