The Water Hole
Name of Book: The Water Hole
Author: Graeme Base
Illustrator: Graeme Base
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers
ISBN: 9780810945685
Audience: Grades Pre-K – 5
Summary: The Water Hole is a counting book. As animals from all around the globe gather around the water hole for a drink, the water hole begins to diminish in size, until there is nothing left. All the animals disperse, until the rainy season comes and replenishes the water supply, so all the animals can return.
Literary elements at work in the story (Genre/setting/characterization/plot/theme/point of view/style): The Water Hole appears to be a simple counting book, counting 1-10, but as you explore each page you find hidden pictures of animals from each of the ten regions depicted and a glimpse into the cycle of seasons on the African plains. This book allows little ones to enjoy the beautiful pictures as they count with you from 1-10, but it also challenges older readers to examine each picture to look for what lurks behind each scene. It is a book about the diversity of creation and the challenge for eco-preservation.
Scripture: Genesis 1
Theological conversation partners: The Water Hole is a beautiful portrayal of the diversity within God’s creation from the birds of the air to the fish in the sea. As humans created in God’s image, we are called to take care of God’s creation. This book opens the dialogue to children on how we can begin the process of loving all of God’s creatures and making sure that there is enough for everyone.
Faith Talk Questions:
- There are a lot of animals named in this book, can you think of other animals in the world that are not named?
- What makes all animals the same? What makes animals different from one another?
- God created each animal to be unique in its own way, just as God created you to be unique. How does that make you feel?
- God asks humans to take care of the earth and all of God’s creation. What can we do to take care of the animals?
This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Amanda North.
The Water Hole by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
