Water Boy - Hardcover

McPhail, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 081091784X ISBN 13: 9780810917842

Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2007

Synopsis

Beloved illustrator McPhail offers a child’s magical view of the natural world.

When a little boy overcomes his fear of water, fantastic things begin to happen: The birds who live by the sea bring him treasures, the waves sing to him, and suddenly, he is able to perform incredible tricks, like parting or purifying water. He uses his special powers to transform not only himself, but also the world around him.

Award-winning author and illustrator David McPhail uses his exquisite paintings and a touch of magic to illustrate the connection between people and nature and to encourage young readers to help take care of the environment. A beautiful and evocative picture book unlike any other, Water Boy will captivate children, adults, and environmentalists alike.

“Water Boy began as a series of little drawings (I try to do at least one every day). Water images kept showing up in my sketches and soon became a theme. After I’d done about eight or ten, I tried to connect them, but nothing worked, so I put the idea aside.

“I continued to draw, and my drawings were still infused with water. Then, without really trying, they began to reveal some continuity. I kept drawing and drawing, and the story continued to take shape. It came together so magically that it informed my new approach: Do the art you want, and the story will follow . . .”

—David McPhail

About this title

About the Author:

David McPhail has illustrated over 100 books for children and received numerous state awards and other honors. He is also the illustrator of When Sheep Sleep, by Laura Numeroff. He lives in Rye, New Hampshire.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2—If we are mostly made of water, will we dissolve in the rain? A boy ponders questions like this one, including his bath-time concerns about going down the drain. What seems to start out as a book about fear of water and overcoming it evolves into much more. The child and water begin to have a magical relationship. Water from the sink spells out his name; waves sing to him. He conducts experiments with condensed rainwater and sunlight, discovering how to clear up polluted waters. Beautifully written, illustrated, and designed, this small gem of a book calls to be opened, touched, and read from its texturally and visually appealing cover showing the boy and a flock of birds at the shore to the rich, color-drenched pictures of the real and the fantastic inside. Capturing the appeal and mystery of water while effectively addressing issues of overcoming personal fear and environmental awareness is no small feat, and this book achieves it.—Susan Moorhead, New Rochelle Public Library, NY
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About this edition

• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 081091784X
• ISBN 13: 9780810917842
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40