Perfect Picture Book Friday
I love The Water Princess (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2016) by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds so much. It’s beautiful–it’s sad. The book clearly shows how water, something we take for granted in our country, is not so accessible elsewhere. The book is based on the childhood experience of Georgie Badiel in Africa. This experience is not limited to Africa–I’ve seen it in Haiti, too. What a good story for kids everywhere to experience.
Listen to the opening words: “I am Princess Gie Gie. My Kingdom . . . the African sky, so wide and so close. I can almost touch the sharp edges of the stars.”
You can see Susan’s books here and read her bio here. Susan’s next book My Kicks, illustrated by Katie Kath, comes out in April.
Peter’s illustrations make you feel what Gie Gie is experiencing. You may recognize some of the titles where he is both author and illustrator: The Dot, Ish. He’s illustrated a lot of books, which you can start seeing here. Meet Peter here.
