Water Land by Christy Hale - ESSENTIAL

Water Land by Christy Hale. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan), 2018. $18. 9781250152442

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Each page of this book has one word on it that corresponds to the type of body of water illustrated. The illustrations have physical cut outs that connect one page to the next. The bodies of water illustrated are a lake, bay, strait, system of lakes, gulf, island, cape, isthmus, archipelago, and peninsula. At the end of the book there is a fold out map that points out bodies of water around the world.  It also includes a more detailed description of each type. 

I thought this book was so cute and the information useful. I feel like I learned something new by having each body of water illustrated in this way. The educational value is high, but this book would have little interest beyond a formal learning situation. Illustrated in mostly yellow and blue, the lack of other colors may decrease reading enjoyment for some young readers, although this color scheme is appealing for adults.

Reviewer: Jen W.