This book is dedicated to the wonders of water, described as the most precious resource on the planet. So full of fascinating facts that even the end pages abound with them, the text nonetheless retains a quality of poetic contemplation. For instance:

"An entire world is reflected
in a drop of water.
Did dinosaurs also see their reflection
in the ancient raindrops?"

Double-page spreads scientifically explore questions like:

  • "Why does it rain?"
  • "Is there water underground?"
  • "How are rainbows and water related?"
  • "How powerful is water?"
  • "What causes flooding?"
  • "What about water in cities?"
  • "How can we protect our planet's water?"

... and that's only a small sample. Each section evokes a sense of awe as well as giving answers. "What do humans think about water's mysteries?", asks one section. While we discover what scuba diving allows humans to do and what a bathyscaphe can help us achieve, we're also learning that Atlahua is the god of water in Aztec mythology and Pereplut is the Slavic god of the sea and seafaring.

Olga Fadeeva, also known for Wind: Discovering Air in Motion, both wrote and illustrated Water. Its words and pictures are exquisitely well integrated. Written texts find open spaces between the sweep and joints of pipes ("Where does water in your tea come from?") and beneath icebergs ("Who are the involuntary travelers in our oceans?"). We learn on the last page that the author "generously sprinkled, dripped, and thinned acrylic paints with water. Approximately 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of water were used to create the art for this book."

Lena Traer is a Russian- and English-language translator who focuses on books for children and young adults. The publisher, Eerdmans, also gives a shout-out to those who shared their scientific expertise for the English-language edition of this book, aimed at older elementary and middle-school readers.