WATER

A wellspring of facts and reflections about our watery world.

Following the drift of Wind (2023), Fadeeva places a lightly tan-skinned child dressed in an easily visible red shift in her flowing illustrations—nearly all done in blue-dominant hues. The little one plants a tree over deep layers of groundwater, boats down a river and through a flooded town, and otherwise leads young viewers into glimpses of some of the many ways we use and interact with water. Text translated from Russian and presented in a question-and-answer format offers a wealth of information on topics from the water cycle to why seas and oceans are salty (and why some are saltier than others). Fadeeva also considers water deities in select ancient cultures worldwide and explores human uses for water, such as bathing, commerce, undersea exploration, and freshwater delivery systems through history. Some of the questions encourage broader thoughts: “Why does it rain?” “What is life without water?” “What do humans think about water’s mysteries?” Though the power of water to shape lives and landforms comes through clearly, the author also sounds a cautionary note at the end about the threat that pollutants, particularly microplastics, pose not just to our oceans, but to our own well-being.

Almost as deep as it is wide.