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    Dancing with Water

    Author Gwendolyn Wallace
    Illustrated by Tonya Engel
    Ebook
    Penguin Young Readers | Kokila
    On sale Aug 12, 2025 | 40 Pages | 9780593617915
    Preschool - 3
    Reading Level: Lexile 810L | Fountas & Pinnell O
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    An intergenerational story about a nonbinary child who learns the tradition of well digging in this picture book about community, hope, and protecting the Earth’s water.

    As soon as Kit’s old enough to ride in Grandpa's truck, they begin joining him to dig wells for their community. Grandpa is magic. He can feel the weather in his bones, and he’s able to dance with water. With just a tree branch in his hand, Grandpa sways and spins over the land until he finds a spot to dig a hole into the waiting earth. When the water springs up, Grandpa and Kit jump for joy.

    As new hotels and factories pop up across town, clean water becomes harder to find. Sometimes, no water flows at all. Kit is sad for Grandpa—and for Earth. But one day, Grandpa senses that Kit is ready to dance with water too. Grandpa reminds Kit that the energy and strength of their people flows through the water. As they wait and watch for fresh, clear water to flow up from the ground again, Kit recognizes the power shared between themself and Earth.
    Gwendolyn Wallace is an award-winning children’s literature author and PhD student at MIT in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society (HASTS). Her picture books include Joy Takes Root, The Light She Feels Inside, and the forthcoming Imagine New Suns. Her work for children focuses on Black environmentalisms, cultivating radical imagination, and the past, present, and future of social change.

    Tonya Engel is an award-winning artist, mom, and illustrator. Engel’s personal, autobiographical work can be found in public and private collections around the world. She has been the recipient of several awards and honors for her book illustrations, including the 2020 Septima Clark Book Award and the 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor.
    Gwendolyn Wallace View titles by Gwendolyn Wallace
    Tonya Engel View titles by Tonya Engel
    PRAISE FOR DANCING WITH WATER by Gwendolyn Wallace; Illustrated by Tonya Engel:

    An American Library Association (ALA) 2026 Rainbow Book List
    A New York Public Library Best Book of 2025
    The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection

    ★ “Powerful…could find curricular connections in science or civics discussions. The book can be paired with Carole Lindstrom’s We Are Water Protectors. An encompassing story of intergenerational relationships concludes with an author’s note about the disproportionate impact of water access for communities of color. …Recommended first purchase for all library collections.” — School Library Journal, starred review

    "A powerful nugget of culture and history fits snugly into Wallace’s graceful story.
    Imbued with a beauty and strength that will leave a lasting impression."
    —Kirkus Reviews

    “This sweet tale of intergenerational connection acknowledges the overwhelming tragedy of current climate crises and the hopelessness they can evoke, but it roots the solution in community and connection, emphasizing how grandchild and grandfather inspire each other. Fluid acrylics move across the pages in thickly layered swirls and swoops, mimicking both the smooth calm of water and the more oppressive nature of smoke and smog for a visual contrast that dramatically conveys the urgency of the moment.”
    —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

    “Wallace (Joy Takes Root) and Engel (Yaya and the Sea) effervescently detail the traditional practice of water dowsing in this conscientious picture book. … Fluid imagery recurs throughout stylized acrylic underpainting and oil glazed scenes that demonstrate the importance of water to all life, and Kit’s grandfather’s ability to engage with the natural world.”
    —Publishers Weekly

    “Realism and whimsy collide in Engel's illustrations, created with acrylic underpainting finished with oil glazes … An environmental tale rooted in Black history that young readers will enjoy.”
    —Booklist

    About

    An intergenerational story about a nonbinary child who learns the tradition of well digging in this picture book about community, hope, and protecting the Earth’s water.

    As soon as Kit’s old enough to ride in Grandpa's truck, they begin joining him to dig wells for their community. Grandpa is magic. He can feel the weather in his bones, and he’s able to dance with water. With just a tree branch in his hand, Grandpa sways and spins over the land until he finds a spot to dig a hole into the waiting earth. When the water springs up, Grandpa and Kit jump for joy.

    As new hotels and factories pop up across town, clean water becomes harder to find. Sometimes, no water flows at all. Kit is sad for Grandpa—and for Earth. But one day, Grandpa senses that Kit is ready to dance with water too. Grandpa reminds Kit that the energy and strength of their people flows through the water. As they wait and watch for fresh, clear water to flow up from the ground again, Kit recognizes the power shared between themself and Earth.

    Author

    Gwendolyn Wallace is an award-winning children’s literature author and PhD student at MIT in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society (HASTS). Her picture books include Joy Takes Root, The Light She Feels Inside, and the forthcoming Imagine New Suns. Her work for children focuses on Black environmentalisms, cultivating radical imagination, and the past, present, and future of social change.

    Tonya Engel is an award-winning artist, mom, and illustrator. Engel’s personal, autobiographical work can be found in public and private collections around the world. She has been the recipient of several awards and honors for her book illustrations, including the 2020 Septima Clark Book Award and the 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor.
    Gwendolyn Wallace View titles by Gwendolyn Wallace
    Tonya Engel View titles by Tonya Engel

    Praise

    PRAISE FOR DANCING WITH WATER by Gwendolyn Wallace; Illustrated by Tonya Engel:

    An American Library Association (ALA) 2026 Rainbow Book List
    A New York Public Library Best Book of 2025
    The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection

    ★ “Powerful…could find curricular connections in science or civics discussions. The book can be paired with Carole Lindstrom’s We Are Water Protectors. An encompassing story of intergenerational relationships concludes with an author’s note about the disproportionate impact of water access for communities of color. …Recommended first purchase for all library collections.” — School Library Journal, starred review

    "A powerful nugget of culture and history fits snugly into Wallace’s graceful story.
    Imbued with a beauty and strength that will leave a lasting impression."
    —Kirkus Reviews

    “This sweet tale of intergenerational connection acknowledges the overwhelming tragedy of current climate crises and the hopelessness they can evoke, but it roots the solution in community and connection, emphasizing how grandchild and grandfather inspire each other. Fluid acrylics move across the pages in thickly layered swirls and swoops, mimicking both the smooth calm of water and the more oppressive nature of smoke and smog for a visual contrast that dramatically conveys the urgency of the moment.”
    —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

    “Wallace (Joy Takes Root) and Engel (Yaya and the Sea) effervescently detail the traditional practice of water dowsing in this conscientious picture book. … Fluid imagery recurs throughout stylized acrylic underpainting and oil glazed scenes that demonstrate the importance of water to all life, and Kit’s grandfather’s ability to engage with the natural world.”
    —Publishers Weekly

    “Realism and whimsy collide in Engel's illustrations, created with acrylic underpainting finished with oil glazes … An environmental tale rooted in Black history that young readers will enjoy.”
    —Booklist

    Additional formats

    Other Books by this Author

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