WATER BOY

In a dreamlike tale that drifts gently into magical realism, a young boy acquires unusual powers over water as he loses his fear of it. Though initially afraid even to take a bath, the lad gains confidence after hearing ocean waves singing, and discovering, among other tricks, that he can actually hold them back. For his climactic feat, he creates a special kind of water that cleans a polluted river. McPhail tells the tale in an abstracted, sometimes mildly humorous tone, and illustrates it with underlit, luminously colored scenes of a small, towheaded child with lowered eyes—generally alone and usually regarding water in some form, whether it be a drop balanced on his fingertip or an immense wave towering overhead. The environmental theme does not rest heavily on this atmospheric outing, and the boy’s fear is presented in ways that allow it to stand in for almost any fear. (Picture book. 6-8)