The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The Bulletin Dozen is a monthly theme-based list of titles available only on-line. Since we're awfully fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd adopt their philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when we have them to offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free to copy, download, or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the source. See the archive for lists from previous months. Water, Water Everywhere: Wet Weather, Soggy Survival, and Aquatic Amusement for the Elementary Grades --selected by Jeannette Hulick Spring is here and summer soon will be, and that means water (or lack of it) in many forms and situations. Rain, storms, floods, or droughts prevail this time of year, and many kids will find themselves pool-, lake-, or seaside this summer. Whether kids are surrounded by too much water or not enough, the following list should provide kindergartners through middle-graders with plenty of opportunities for immersing themselves in watery worlds, or for watching others overcome damp disasters while they themselves stay high and dry. --by Jeannette Hulick, Reviewer and Editorial Assistant

• Bang-Campbell, Monika. Little Rat Sets Sail. Harcourt, 2002. Gr. 2-3
  Little Rat is afraid of water and feels out of place at her parent-mandated sailing lessons. Luckily, her instructor understands, and he allows Little Rat to proceed at her own pace until she eventually becomes more comfortable at sea. Molly Bang's brilliant, summery illustrations complement the text of this exemplary easy reader chapter book. (BCCB 5/02)
  
• Calhoun, Mary. Flood. Morrow, 1997. 6-9 yrs
  Sarajean and her family must evacuate their home near the Mississippi in this fictionalized portrait of the Midwestern floods of 1993. Watercolor and pencil illustrations capture the relentlessness of rain and river and the frustration and hope of the families who survived the experience. (BCCB 4/97)
• Cobb, Vicki. Squirts and Spurts: Science Fun with Water. Millbrook, 2000. Gr. 3-6
  Science teachers, or parents looking for educational summer activities, will appreciate the scientific explanations behind various water phenomena; kids will enjoy the many opportunities for squirting, splashing, and generally getting soaked. (BCCB 11/00)
• Gay, Marie-Louise. Stella, Star of the Sea. Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre, 1999. 3-7 yrs
  Big sister Stella romps in the sea and provides imaginative answers to little brother Sam's multitude of questions ("Where do starfish come from? Does a sea horse gallop? Do you think there are sharks in the sea?"), until finally Sam gets up the nerve to join in the fun himself. (BCCB 5/99)
• Hesse, Karen. Come On, Rain! Scholastic, 1999. 5-8 yrs
  Full of sensory details, Hesse's text poetically describes the anticipation and exuberance that young Tessie feels when rain finally falls on her hot urban neighborhood after three weeks of drought. Jon J Muth's watercolor pictures lyrically depict the actions of Tessie, her friends, and their mothers against backdrops of shimmering summer heat and cool, cleansing rain. (BCCB 4/99)
• Jay, Betsy. Swimming Lessons. Rising Moon, 1998. Gr. 2-4
  In this humorous picture book, Jane protests against her mother's insistence that she take swimming lessons ("'You can't make me,' I said. 'You're not my boss,' but I should have left that part off"), but when push comes to shove, she finds out that it's not nearly as bad as she thought. (BCCB 9/98)
• Karas, G. Brian. Atlantic. Putnam, 2002. 6-9 yrs
  In poetic language, the Atlantic Ocean describes itself ("I stretch from the icy poles, North and South/ I rub shoulders with North America and bump into Africa") in this picture book illustrated with Karas's distinctive gouache, acrylic, and pencil art. (BCCB 4/02)
• Lauber, Patricia. Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms. Scholastic, 1996. Gr. 3-6
  Photos, maps, and diagrams illustrate this dramatic and informative text, which covers infamous hurricanes, weather science tools and techniques for studying hurricanes, and the effects of these storms on people and the environment. (BCCB 10/96)
• Levy, Constance. Splash! Poems of Our Watery World. Orchard, 2002. Gr. 2-4 [?]
  Thirty-four rhythmic and sonorous poems about all things aquatic, from fog to soap bubbles to bathwater, are illustrated with monochromatic watercolor paintings in this useful and appealing poetry collection. (BCCB review pending)
• Maggi, María Elena , ad. The Great Canoe: A Kariña Legend. Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre, 2001. 5-8 yrs
  Dynamic hand-colored scratchboard illustrations and an understated but powerful text blend together seamlessly in this legend from the Kariña people of South America; this flood folktale would be an excellent choice for reading aloud. An extensive source note is included. (BCCB 12/01)
• Neale, Jonathan. Lost at Sea. Houghton, 2002. Gr. 4-7
  Siblings Orrie, Jack, and Andy are sailing across the Atlantic with their mom and her sailor boyfriend, Skip when a storm hits; sailing purist Skip (who has previously disabled the ship's motor) is lost overboard, depression-prone Mom falls into a stupor, and it's up to Orrie and Jack to get their family to safety in this short, riveting novel. (BCCB 5/02)
• Petersen, P. J. White Water. Simon, 1997. Gr. 4-6
  As in Neale's Lost at Sea, the plot of this brief novel features water-bound siblings who must take control after a parent is incapacitated; here it's two half-brothers who must raft down dangerous whitewater while caring for their father, who's become dangerously ill after being bitten by a rattlesnake. (BCCB 6/97)
• Schaefer, Lola M. This Is the Rain. Greenwillow, 2001. 5-8 yrs
  Take the rhyme and pattern of "The House that Jack Built," cross it with a simple explanation of the water cycle, then add Jane Wattenberg's wild, mixed-media, computer-blended illustrations, and you'll have this attention-grabbing intro to an elemental science concept. (BCCB 10/01)
• Wick, Walter. A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder. Scholastic, 1997. Gr. 3-6
  Photographs don't get much better than this. Wick's stunning photos clearly demonstrate the beauty of the natural world of water; his text simply and elegantly explains the scientific principles behind such marvels as condensation, rainbows, and snowflakes. (BCCB 2/97)

This page was last updated on May 1, 2002.

http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/puboff/bccb/0502doz.html