Review by Booklist Review
Verde joins Badiel (fashion model and clean-drinking-water activist) to create a story based on Badiel's childhood experiences in Burkina Faso, one of many African countries where women walk miles every day to fetch water. In it, the fictional protagonist Princess Gie Gie and her mother set off for the river before dawn, and they return at dusk. Gie Gie's frustration is evident at first, but it soon dissipates in the romance of the walk with her mother. They sing and laugh and dance, bathed in the golden glow of Reynolds' charming rendition of sunlight on a vast, empty African plain. Gie Gie's questions about her village's lack of water are unanswered, but her day ends with a dream of one day bringing water to her kingdom. Rich purple and tawny hues create an evocative backdrop to the story, while the friendly font softens the exhausting, arduous nature of fetching water. Readers are left to wonder if the power of dreaming can change reality, and inquisitive ones might be moved to look up the true story on Badiel's website.--Chaudhri, Amina Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a stirring, thought-provoking story based on the childhood of model Georgie Badiel in Burkina Faso, Verde and Reynolds follow a girl and her mother as they retrieve water for the family's use. Reynolds (whose previous books with Verde include I Am Yoga and The Museum) uses sumptuous violets and golds for the expansive African night sky and grassy plains-both of which young Gie Gie, a self-described princess with a wiry physique and beads in her braided hair, considers to be her domain. Gie Gie claims she can "tame the wild dogs with my song" and "make the wind play hide-and-seek," but summoning clean, readily accessible water is beyond her ability. Verde's poetic language reflects the length and difficulty of Gie Gie and her mother's trek, along with the positive spirit the girl brings to the task. Toward the end, the implicit injustice of the situation is addressed directly: "Maman," Gie Gie asks, "Why is the water so far? Why is the water not clear? Where is our water?" They are questions that readers will want answered, too. Ages 5-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Before the sun rises, Princess Gie Gie wakes to trek through her dry kingdom, under the wide sky, an unnamed African setting, to collect water with her mother. They make the long journey to the well, balancing on their heads the large pots used to collect the water. The line for the well is long, made up of other mothers and daughters, some of whom have walked even farther than Gie Gie and her mother. The water must be boiled in order to be used for drinking, preparing food, and washing clothes. When Gie Gie finally has a cool sip of the water, she wishes it weren't so far away. She must rest before making the trip again the next morning. The animation brings Gie Gie and the beautiful landscape around her to life. The narration by Yetide Badaki is perfectly matched by the moving score. A description option for viewers with low vision and a conversation with fashion model Georgie Badiel, whose childhood experiences in Burkina Faso inspired the narrative, accompany the story. VERDICT A breathtaking animated rendition of Susan Verde and Badiel's 2016 picture book, perfect for units focusing on conservation and the environment.-Selenia Paz, Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A dreamy, imaginative girl in Burkina Faso (the birthplace of fashion model and clean-water advocate Badiel) must journey far with her mother to get water every day. North American children may be surprised by this great need, and Verde's lyrical text may inspire young activists to help. Reynolds's art in dry tans capture Gie Gie's energy as she finds joy in her difficult life. Author's note appended. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
