Water Wow! An Infographic Exploration. Antonia Banyard & Paula Ayer. Art by Belle Wuthrich. Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2016. 60 pp., pbk., hc., html & pdf, $14.95 (pbk.), $22.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-55451-821-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55451-822-7 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-55451-823-4 (html), ISBN 978-1-55451-824-1 (pdf). Subject Headings: Water-Pictorial works-Juvenile literature. Water-Juvenile literature. Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4

excerpt:

Water footprints are useful for giving you a sense of how much water goes into making things, but they don’t tell the whole story. For example, something grown using mostly rainwater that goes back to its source has less of an effect on the environment than something that uses scarce surface water, or pollutes water- even if it has a lower footprint overall. Also, you get a lot more value for your water for a pair of leather sneakers that you wear for a year than for a hamburger you eat once.

The infographic style of this highly engaging book is the perfect format to impart information on such a broad topic. Data-rich, entertaining and educational, Water Wow! An Infographic Exploration presents complex information succinctly and clearly, informing readers without their having to slog through a lot of cumbersome narrative text. Following a general introduction, the book is divided into seven main chapters covering a wide range of water-related topics. Icons representing everyday relatable objects (a water glass, a milk jug, a water cooler bottle and a bathtub) help readers to understand the comparative measurements of water being discussed. The information is sometimes presented in a question and answer format, sometimes in paragraphs under sub-headings, but mostly by means of photos, diagrams, graphs (pie, line, bar and donut), pictographs, flowcharts, timelines, tables and maps. General topics include the states and types of water, how water is formed, where it is found, the water cycle, water’s effects on Earth’s climate, ancient myths about water, water usage, the forms of water power, humans’ access to water, and what people can do to care for and conserve this precious resource.

     The infographic format also allows readers to select only the kind of information they are seeking without having to read the entire book or to skim through paragraphs of text. And, since some of the topics, such as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and osmotic power, are rather technical and complex, readers can skip those entirely and still glean a lot of information from the book. Readers might be surprised to find out that the water on this planet is the same as the water that has existed for billions of years, so at one time their glass of water might have been in Cleopatra’s bathwater or rain that fell on an ancestor who lived hundreds of years ago. Some examples of the amazing facts included in this book are that there are about 38,000 different organisms in four cups of seawater; 91% of water species are still unknown; and a microorganism called a tardigrade, whose body normally consists of about 85% water, can survive without food or water for 10 years, springing back to life once it is wet again. Colourful graphics and backgrounds, combined with an abundance of well-organized facts, make Water Wow! an excellent addition to any school or public library.

Highly Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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