One day in a village in the Republic of Uganda, Sanyu and his sister, Masani, find out that they are not going to school. Instead, they have to fetch water for their family. So, Sanyu and Masani persist through the hard conditions of the walk—hot weather, a long distance, and toil—in order to collect the water from the river. However, the next morning, the family unexpectedly wakes up on the brink of death. What has happened to the family? What will their fate be?
100% of sale proceeds are donated to the Thirst Project, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to terminate the global water crisis by building freshwater wells in communities that need access to clean water.
● "I really hope to see this added to the libraries of schools worldwide, there's a very important lesson to be learned here. Beautifully illustrated and worded to hold the interest of young children. This book is gorgeous. I'm really happy to have purchased this paperback, I'm planning on grabbing a few more for the local library. There's even a list of organizations that take donations for clean water projects in the back. This is a must purchase book for anyone with younglings!"
- Lucid Quill, Book Reviewer
● "This book was a very enjoyable read. The theme is one that is not discussed enough in fiction, and I love how the author has chosen to set their book in Uganda. Uganda is an unusual setting for a book, but for this particular one, it goes perfectly with the theme and the author has chosen exactly the right setting. The writing style is eloquent, and the illustrations really bring the story to life. The author has written the characters in such a way that the readers are able to sympathize with them. I believe that everybody should read this book. It addresses an important issue that many of us are not even aware of. The author’s note at the end and the information that they provided regarding the global health crisis opened my eyes to the problems faced by poor people across the world. People who want to educate themselves about the state of the world will enjoy reading this book, and making use of the resources the author has provided at the end."
- Smrithi Senthilnathan, Book Reviewer
● "This book specifies that it is the youth which brings about positive changes towards the lives of people stuck in the water crisis. The message contained within this book becomes all the more powerful as it sends a signal to the more privileged youth around the world who are reading this book that they themselves are capable of instigating change and that any effort they put in to help is important. The book is obviously crafted with much compassion and in it we see the author’s genuine concern for people who are facing the Global Water Crisis. The footnotes, detailing information on the water crisis worldwide and not once sugarcoating facts to make the book less daunting to get through, are evidence of this. They explain the various consequences of the lack of access to a reliable water source for countries and individuals, include statistics on water availability worldwide, give cultural context to certain scenes in the book, and more. This allows readers to empathise with people who are facing the water crisis. I think they are a wonderful addition to the book. Additionally, the back of the book lists the ways readers can get involved and includes write-ups on the organisations they can donate to. This is an excellent starting point for readers who want to help but are unsure how to. Overall, this was a very informative and capturing read, which I would recommend to all preteens!"
- Lehan Cheah, Book Reviewer
● "The writing was simplistic, factual and to the point which made it accessible to all audiences, focusing instead on the message rather than flowery writing. The commonly used metaphors used to describe the family’s feelings in parts of their story also made it easy for us to understand the level of stress that a lack of clean water supplies can bring on people. The use of statistics at the bottom of the pages were placed in such a way that it always complimented the narrative, ensuring the reader of the shocking reality the characters faced. Whilst reminding us that this is not only a fictional story but in many ways true to people’s lives. I loved the incorporation of art within the book, the beauty of it and the way it matched the tone really helped to put across the point. I also enjoyed that the book didn’t only focus on the community problems with dirty water but also on the lack of sanitation, distance to medical attention, environmental impacts on humans, and the spread of disease. I liked the short but wholesome depictions of a Ugandan community and family. I also liked the slow sinking feeling the book gave me whenever the characters faced a problem and I knew there were more problems on the way. It made me consider how first world countries would react to having no clean water and how they would deal with the idea of drinking toxins to survive whilst sacrificing their health. I would recommend this book to people who want to learn more about the water troubles in Uganda and in other parts of the world and to anyone, as learning about these issues is fundamental to creating change."
- Ari McPhail, Book Reviewer
● "Beautifully illustrated and poignantly told, 𝘐𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 would be a perfect way for a parent or a teacher to introduce young children to the struggle that many children have in accessing clean water. What I particularly liked about this book are the footnotes. Rather than simply adding interesting information that is relevant to that point in the story, the footnotes actually serve as a way for parents or teachers to post discussion questions to children (for example, “How do you think dirty water makes it harder to have good food?”). Children will empathize with the brother and sister at the center of this story, and notice that even though their struggles are many, their family bond is illustrated in in the same way it is illustrated throughout the world; spending time with each other as they see friends, share meals, and pass culture through music and dance. This picture book will challenge your child to learn, identify problems, and believe they can help facilitate solutions."
- Anila P., Human Development Professor
● "Access to clean water and basic sanitation is a basic human right, yet somehow despite living in an incredible world of technology and luxury, millions of people wake up every day not knowing where their next drink will come from. The book delivers such an important message in a format easy for young kids to understand and comprehend. Must read for all kids. Parents, I highly encourage you to get this book for your children. Kudos to the young author!"
- Hiren C., parent of twins
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