Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
Published by Neal Porter Books on March 26th 2019
ISBN: 0823441555
Pages: 48
Goodreads

Hey, Water! gives a broad introduction to water including the places it can be and the forms it can take. The story is written as if speaking directly to water. It is like a letter written to water itself thanking water for being there and doing things for the Earth. It introduces areas related to the science of water for children to be inspired about. The layout of the text includes a large vocabulary word that ties in to the illustration on every page along with the text in sentence format.

The illustrations are simple with bright colors and textures that highlight the water theme. Blue is used frequently but other bold colors are interspersed throughout. The illustrations complement the text through connecting to both actions of the story and highlighted vocabulary words.

Hey, Water! Would be appropriate for toddlers or preschoolers. It is simple enough to read out loud so it would be great for storytimes. The adjectives and motions in the story create engaging dialog for young children.  This title would be useful as a way to share a non-fiction title that is approachable and introduce science topics to younger children. It would be helpful to students who would like to learn more about the things water can do.

The back of the book has reference materials for learning more about water. These focus on the specific concepts of “water forms”, “the water cycle”, and “conserving water” with greater detail. A bibliography is also provided to reference outside materials for research and experiments. These sections could be helpful for a teacher putting together a lesson plan or very young students doing basic research.

Reviewed by Kathleen Powers, Winslow Public Library, Winslow, ME