NONFICTION BOOKS
FICTION BOOKS
Make A Splash!
Read Books About Water
What is the difference between a fiction book and a nonfiction book?
Title: Click, clack, splish, splash : a counting adventure
Author: Doreen Cronin
Recommended Reading Level: Early Reader
Copyright Date: c2006
Publisher:
Summary: 
1 farmer sleeping.2 feet creeping3 buckets piled high.4 chickens standing by.Duck is about to trick poor Farmer Brown once again. While the farmer is sleeping the afternoon away, Duck and the other animals are planning a most unusual fishing trip. Sneaking past Farmer Brown is going to be as easy as 1, 2, 3!This numerical adventure for the very youngest Duck fans brings counting books to a whole new level -- click, clack, splish, splash!
Title: Did A Dinosaur Drink This Water?
Author: Robert E. Wells
Recommended Reading Level: Grades 1-3
Copyright Date: c2006
Publisher: Albert Whitman
Summary: World Cat
In this work about the water cycle, readers discover that the molecules in their glass of water may have once been part of a dinosaur watering hole.
Review: Horn Book
This friendly yet scientifically rigorous introduction to the water cycle gives young readers plenty of sophisticated concepts to ponder. Wells goes beyond the usual explanation of water phases and phase changes to include discussion of water pollution, dams, and how water supports life. His signature color illustrations invite readers to scrutinize the details that support the scientific explanations.
Title: D. W. All Wet
Author: Marc Brown
Recommended Reading Level: Pre-School - Grade 2
Copyright Date: c1988
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Summary: World Cat
D.W. bosses her brother Arthur into carrying her on his shoulders at the beach because she maintains that she hates the water, until she gets a big wet surprise.
Review: School Library Journal
Preschool-Grade 2 Arthur the aardvark's younger sister returns in true D. W. fashion. She's obstinate, whiney, and totally irresistible to Arthur and to his fans. Here the family is at the beach, and D. W. is determined to let every one know how miserable she is. She hates the beach, the water, the sun everything about the experience, until a wise and loving older brother forcefully coaxes her into the water. Families of rabbits and aardvarks bask in the sun or take shelter under colorful beach umbrellas; children (except D. W.) build castles, swim, or play in the water. All the while, D. W. remains high and dry until the very end. The book is so expertly conceived that non-readers will be able to follow every moment of D. W.'s day, from unhappiness to delight. Youngsters will predict the ending, but they'll still love seeing her about-face and relate to her fear of the unknown. D. W. and Arthur at the beach, they're sure to make a big splash with the preschool crowd as well as with beginning readers. Trev Jones, "School Library Journal ''
Title: Froggy Learns To Swim
Author: Jonathan London
Recommended Reading Level: Pre-School - Grade 2
Copyright Date: c1997
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Summary: World Cat
Froggy is afraid of the water until his mother, along with his flippers, snorkle, and mask, help him learn to swim.
Review: School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1--It's now summertime for the hero of Froggy Gets Dressed (Viking, 1992). When an overzealous swing ride tosses him into a pond, his patient mother assures her terrified son that all frogs are great swimmers, and she teaches him how. He is still reluctant until he puts on his flippers, mask, and snorkel. Then he won't get out of the water--all night! Vivid watercolor cartoons add to the humor, showing the comical facial expressions and hilarious beachwear. Froggy's childlike dialogue and the sound words--``zook! zik!''; ``flop flop...splash!''--make this story a wonderful read-aloud. Pair it with Marc Brown's D.W. All Wet (Little, 1988) to promote discussion about overcoming fears.--Betty Teague, Blythe Academy of Languages, Greenville, SC
Title: Splish, Splash!
Author: Sarah Weeks
Recommended Reading Level: Pre-School - Grade 1
Copyright Date: c1999
Publisher: HarperCollins
Summary: World Cat
Different animals ask to join a fish in a tub until the tub is full.
Review: School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1--A tale of a fish named Chub and his wonderful big tub told in rhyme with colorful illustrations. Who would have thought that a bath could hold a fish, a cat, a bull, a snail, a giraffe, a snake--and more? But in they all go, with a tiny bug the last one to find a spot. Repeated throughout is the refrain, "And they splish/and they splash,/and they splash/and they splish." The silly illustrations show all the familiar tub-time accessories children love from rubber duckies to bubbles galore. A cat in a shower cap and a snake in an inflatable tube are just some of the amusing characters squeezing into this communal tub. The words are all simple and familiar, and the story is engaging, making it a good choice for beginning readers.--Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Children's Museum, NY
Title: Hilda Must Be Dancing
Author: Karma Wilson
Recommended Reading Level: Pre-School - Grade 2
Copyright Date: c2004
Publisher: Aladdin
Summary: World Cat
None of her jungle friends can find Hilda Hippo a quieter, less disruptive replacement for dancing, her favorite hobby, until Water Buffalo suggests an activity that allows Hilda to express her dance creativity in a new way.
Review: Horn Book
Although hippopotamus Hilda loves to dance, the other jungle animals hate it when she dances because she's loud and clumsy. Hilda tries to appease them by taking up quieter hobbies, but nothing satisfies her like dancing--until she discovers water ballet. The flowing, rhymed text and cheery illustrations filled with bright jungle colors and animals create an enjoyable read-aloud.
Title: Drip! Drop! How Water Gets To Your Tap
Author: Barbara Seuling
Recommended Reading Level: Kindergarten - Grade 3
Copyright Date: c2000
Publisher: Holiday House
Summary: Jo Jo and her zany dog Willy explain the water cycle and introduce experiments about water filtration, evaporation, and condensation.
Review: Horn Book
The simple explanations of the water cycle and water treatment found in this book stick with a traditional journey of water from bodies of water to clouds to rain to the water treatment plant to your tap. The colorful cartoon illustrations include informative factual asides, but the suggested experiments do little to promote scientific understanding.
Title: The Water Hole
Author: Graeme Base
Recommended Reading Level: Kindergarten - Grade 3
Copyright Date: c2001
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Summary: World Cat
As ever growing numbers of animals visit a watering hole, introducing the numbers from one to ten, the water dwindles.
Review: ALA Booklist
From the creator of Animalia (1986) and The Sign of the Seahorse (1992) comes another beautifully illustrated animal fantasy, this time doubling as counting exercises. Down at the secret water hole the animals all come, the text begins, and on each spread, animals from an international roundup gather to take a drink: one rhino, two tigers, and so on, until, by ten kangaroos, the water has run dry. Luckily, the rains come, bringing everyone together. There's so much to look at here: lush vegetation; lively, detailed animal characters; cutouts that represent the shrinking water supply. Sly humor, sometimes geared towards adults, comes in quotes from the animals--first, as they sound to humans (ark, ark! Arrrk!); then revealing what's actually being said (It's party time, fellas! Drink up!). The story is slim, but the ideas are powerful--life's dependence on water; the concept of limited resources--and children will savor the gorgeous, animal-packed spreads.
Title: The Life And Times Of A Drop Of Water
Author: Angela Royston
Recommended Reading Level: Grades 4 - 7
Copyright Date: c2006
Publisher: Raintree
Summary: World Cat
Explains evaporation and condensation, various forms of water, and the importance of the water cycle.
Review: Horn Book
The books in this series combine maps, photographs, diagrams, and sidebars with a straightforward conversational text to explore the featured topic. Though a bit gimmicky, these titles will be a useful earth science resource for report-driven reluctant readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
Title: Water Dance
Author: Thomas Locker
Recommended Reading Level: Kindergarten - Grade 3
Copyright Date: c1997
Publisher: Harcourt
Summary: World Cat
Water speaks of its existence in such forms as storm clouds, mist, rainbows, and rivers. Includes factual information on the water cycle.
Review: Horn Book
Beautifully painted landscapes illustrate the various steps in the water cycle--from rain, through rivers, and into the sea and sky. Each is accompanied by rather overly dramatic poetic descriptions of the forms water takes on earth. More detailed scientific information about the water in the illustrations is found at the back of the book.
Title: Water Music: Poems For Children
Author: Jane Yolen
Recommended Reading Level: Grade 3 - 7
Copyright Date: c1995
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Summary: World Cat
Original poems based on water in its various forms.
Review: School Library Journal
Gr 3 Up--Yolen notes that Stemple's stunning full-color photographs were the inspiration for these 17 poems on different aspects of water. Ocean surf, dew drops, soap bubbles, a river, waterfall, icicle, and reflections are among the subjects sensitively wrought in words and pictures. The colors are soft and shimmering, reflecting the mood of quiet contemplation evoked by the verses. The attractively designed layout features one poem and photo per two-page spread. A book that can be appreciated by a wide audience.--Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Title: A Cool Drink Of Water
Author: Barbara Kerley
Recommended Reading Level: Pre-School - Grade 2
Copyright Date: c2002
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Summary: World Cat
Depicts people around the world collecting, chilling, and drinking water.
Review: School Library Journal Starred Review
PreS-Gr 2 Gorgeous full-page illustrations and minimal text give global perspective to the idea that water is basic to all human life. Photos depict people collecting, transporting, and drinking the liquid while the poetic text reminds readers that "Everyone/Everywhere" enjoys "A nice, cool drink of water." The print itself creates visual interest with verbs in italics and nouns in bold. A spread at the back of the book includes thumbnail copies of the illustrations with captions and a map identifying the locations of the shots. There is also a statement on water conservation from the president and CEO of the National Geographic Society. Enjoyable to browse and a stunning introduction to a unit on water. Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Do you want to find a really good book that can splash up some FUN?
Check out the books on this page. They are all about water.
Look for books that fit your reading level and interest.
Book covers and book reviews retrieved from Perma-Bound http://www.perma-bound.com
Book summaries retrieved from World Cat http://www.worldcat.org
The Wordsmyth Organization
Look these words up in the Wordsmyth Children's Dictionary. This is an excellent online dictionary for all ages. Choose the Beginner's Dictionary for the easiest definition. The Children's Dictionary is for more advanced elementary students.
Chose Beginner's Dictionary or Children's Dictionary or and then type in Fiction or Nonfiction.
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