Hey, Water!

January 15, 2019
Portis' latest picture book is a joyful, lyrical celebration of water.In it, protagonist Zoe (the name is revealed only at the end of the book) realizes that water is "all around" and discovers it everywhere: in her home, in nature, in her community, and in herself ("sometimes you slide down my cheek without a sound"). From page to page and, subtly, through the seasons, she engages in a game of hide-and-seek with water's many states--from ice ("Sometimes you freeze hard as a rock--a rock that floats, / or a rock we can skate on") to steam ("Water, even when you try to fool me, I know you. You blast and huff. You whistle and puff"). Through it all, as she declares at the end, "water, I know it's you!" Done with brush and sumi ink and then digitally colored, Portis' bold illustrations undulate on the page--raindrops roar and pour; dwarfing a whale, oceans surge (even on the endpapers). Words describing the different types of water celebrated ("shower"; "puddle"; "fog") are printed in a large font that harmonizes with the illustrations' brushy look. The picture book also includes informative backmatter: an illustration of the water cycle, a manifesto to conserve water, and a list of additional resources about water and water experiments. Zoe has brown skin and straight, black hair.An energetic and literary introduction to water science by the author/illustrator of the award-winning Not a Box (2006). (Picture book. 3-7)

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February 1, 2019
Preschool-G A girl talks to water about its varied qualities. First, she acknowledges its liquid form, pouring from faucets, spraying from showers and sprinklers, and flowing into stream, river, and ocean. There are quiet lakes and noisy pools, sliding teardrops and pouring rain. She also recognizes water vapor in steam, clouds, and fog. Frozen water can be hard as rock (ice cube, iceberg, ice rink) or soft as a feather (snow). But in any form, Hey, water, thank you! The text creates an easy-going, conversational tone while maintaining a good balance of scientific knowledge, everyday observation, and a child's perspective. In the book's artwork, sumi ink brush drawings delineate forms, while color is added digitally. The brushstrokes bring a sense of spontaneity and energy to the scenes, which show up beautifully from a distance. A large, labeled picture illustrates the water cycle. Appended pages include more detailed discussions of water's different forms as well as the importance of conservation. A handsome picture book that's well suited to reading aloud, especially for classroom units on water.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from March 1, 2019
A girl named Zoe explores water in this playful and informative book. Speaking directly to water ( Hey, water! I know you! You're all around ), Zoe considers the role of water inside a home (shower, faucet) and outside of it (sprinkler, hose). Spread by spread, the book's scope widens as the girl points out ever-larger bodies of water?from a stream to a river to an ocean. The scope then shrinks back again to a lake, pool, puddle, and dewdrop. Zoe also considers the different forms water can take (identified in the back matter as liquid, solid, and gas), using examples such as the steam of a teakettle, a cloud, an ice cube, and more; throughout, each item is accompanied by an unobtrusive label in a larger block font to help clarify the information. Portis's main text is spare and accessible, with occasional, effective use of figurative language: dewdrops that wink, water that freezes soft as a feather, snowflakes that are fancier than lace. The many permutations of water (not the book's protagonist) are the focus of the crisp, uncluttered, primarily aqua-colored illustrations; when we do see Zoe, she's delighting in water. Hey, water, thank you! she says on the final page while playing in the bathtub. The story's ending segues easily to back matter that includes notes on conservation and water forms and a simple diagram of the water cycle. julie Danielson

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 1, 2019
A girl named Zoe explores water in this playful and informative book. Speaking directly to water ( Hey, water! I know you! You're all around ), Zoe considers the role of water inside a home (shower, faucet) and outside of it (sprinkler, hose). Spread by spread, the book's scope widens as the girl points out ever-larger bodies of water?from a stream to a river to an ocean. The scope then shrinks back again to a lake, pool, puddle, and dewdrop. Zoe also considers the different forms water can take (identified in the back matter as liquid, solid, and gas), using examples such as the steam of a teakettle, a cloud, an ice cube, and more; throughout, each item is accompanied by an unobtrusive label in a larger block font to help clarify the information. Portis's main text is spare and accessible, with occasional, effective use of figurative language: dewdrops that wink, water that freezes soft as a feather, snowflakes that are fancier than lace. The many permutations of water (not the book's protagonist) are the focus of the crisp, uncluttered, primarily aqua-colored illustrations; when we do see Zoe, she's delighting in water. Hey, water, thank you! she says on the final page while playing in the bathtub. The story's ending segues easily to back matter that includes notes on conservation and water forms and a simple diagram of the water cycle. julie Danielson

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
In this playful and informative book, a girl named Zoe speaks directly to water while considering its role inside and outside a home as well as its different forms. Portis's spare and accessible main text makes effective use of figurative language. Water's many permutations are the focus of the crisp, uncluttered, primarily aqua-colored illustrations. Back matter includes notes on conservation and water forms and a simple water cycle diagram. Reading list.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from December 21, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-This simple introduction to water is an ideal read-aloud for the youngest scientists. Bold, beautiful, and equally simple illustrations are rendered with brush, sumi ink, and digital color. In addition to the brief running narrative, each page or spread features a word that refers to a different form of water ("tear") and descriptive text ("sometimes you slide down my cheek without a sound"). The book makes for a fun guessing game-children will enjoy figuring out, for instance, that "I stomp in you and scatter droplets everywhere" refers to a puddle. The book explores ways water can be found in homes, yards, and neighborhoods (in faucets, hoses, sprinklers) but also describes streams, rivers, oceans, dewdrops, clouds, fog, and icebergs. The final page shows a girl in the bath and her toy whale spouting sprays of water. Appended are accessible explanations about water forms, the water cycle, and conservation. The endpapers sport thick brushstroke waves in grays and blues. VERDICT Both school and public libraries will want this striking first science book on their shelves.-Barbara Auerbach, Cairo Public Library, NY