Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World, by Christy Hale. Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan. Raincoast. 2018. $23.50 ages 3 and up

"A lake is a body of
water surrounded by
land.

An island is a piece
of land surrounded
by water.

A bay is a body of
water almost
surrounded by land."           

Your kids are going to love this one! It is truly amazing how Christy Hale uses cut pages to so clearly show water and land forms. The title page will invite little ones in, and they will be hooked. First, enjoy a gorgeous autumn day at the lake where a young girl is chasing leaves and a boy lazily fishing from a rowboat turn to that same girl on a deserted island sending an SOS signal to a completely unaware fisherman. Brilliant! A bay turns into a cape ... and so it goes.

Reading it together will provide many moments of surprise, and encourage discussion for all that is happening on its pages. All the while there is learning going on. Some words will be new vocabulary for little ones, some will be brand new learning about the word itself. Every page is engaging and beautifully presented.                                                                           

Although readers are focused on the art, it never distracts from learning about the five land and water forms she includes. The connections are clear, and children will learn as they read. The final pages include a double page spread that repeats the partners, and gives a simple description of each. Open it 'up' to find a listing of some examples of each from around the world. Open 'out' to a world map where each of the forms is labelled.

The book is beautifully designed for numerous shares, and that is a good thing. Kids will want to revisit the book often. The thick pages, the fascinating cutouts and the information provided make every look worthwhile.