Look! Look!

February 1, 2024
In this companion to Out of the Way! Out of the Way! (2012), an Indian girl discovers an old well hidden beneath a garbage-strewn patch of abandoned land. The child notices something unusual below the detritus one day. When she and her friends push away the trash, they uncover a set of stone steps. Word spreads to the adults and neighboring villages, and more and more people join in the effort to clear the land. Their hard work pays off when they discover that the garbage was covering a centuries-old well. When the girl's grandmother sees it, she says that she remembers her relatives telling her stories about a collection of wells that helped irrigate local crops. Sure enough, the next rain fills not only the well, but also "deep, sleeping springs." The land bursts back to life, making the villagers wonder if any other hidden treasures might be in their midst. The author's note clarifies that the story takes place in India and that it explores one possible way to combat the country's struggle with climate change. The fast-moving and poetic text, punctuated with the refrain "Look! Look!" as characters make unexpected discoveries, perfectly accompanies the detailed and vibrant acrylic, poster color, and watercolor illustrations, which make effective use of color, shading, and white space. A gorgeous and inspiring imagining of a collective response to climate change. (Picture book. 3-8)

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July 1, 2024
A young girl passes by an unremarkable patch of ground on her way to and from school. One day she notices "something small and gray beneath a clump of weeds." She and her friends clear some of the weeds and accumulated garbage and find "stones upon even more stones." The children tell their elders, and word spreads throughout the neighboring villages. Everyone helps dig until they unearth steps leading to an ancient well. The girl's grandmother recalls stories from long ago about old wells that caught rainwater. And when the rains come, waking up "deep, sleeping springs," they send water to the old well. Slowly the dry and dusty fields turn green, and butterflies, bees, crickets, and other creatures return. Resembling tribal Gond art, the acrylic, poster-color, and watercolor illustrations are rich with details of traditional Indian village life, including people collecting firewood, women balancing water pots, carts piled with fruits and vegetables. Accompanying the lively prose, Krishnaswami's refrain -- "Look! Look!" -- captures the joy of discovery that unites the community. As the villagers work together to clear out the abandoned well, they learn about ancient methods of water preservation that bring the fields, flora, and fauna back to life. An author's note provides context. Sadaf Siddique

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 28, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-From the creative pair that published Out of the Way! Out of the Way! comes a story of a lost treasure rediscovered in India. A forgotten spot, full of weeds and trash, is uncovered by a young girl and her friends and they find stones upon stones. The word goes out from village to village and people gather to dig; eventually, they uncover a long unused series of steps that leads down to an old well. It had been used to catch rainwater but over time had been forgotten. With the arrival of the rains, the well fills up and the water provides its life-giving force for plants, animals, and the people who gather to celebrate this ancient treasure. Vibrant illustrations accompany lively text. VERDICT Based on current events in India where ancient wells are being cleaned up and working again, this tale could inspire readers to engage in environmental endeavors closer to home.-John Scott

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
A young girl passes by an unremarkable patch of ground on her way to and from school. One day she notices "something small and gray beneath a clump of weeds." She and her friends clear some of the weeds and accumulated garbage and find "stones upon even more stones." The children tell their elders, and word spreads throughout the neighboring villages. Everyone helps dig until they unearth steps leading to an ancient well. The girl's grandmother recalls stories from long ago about old wells that caught rainwater. And when the rains come, waking up "deep, sleeping springs," they send water to the old well. Slowly the dry and dusty fields turn green, and butterflies, bees, crickets, and other creatures return. Resembling tribal Gond art, the acrylic, poster-color, and watercolor illustrations are rich with details of traditional Indian village life, including people collecting firewood, women balancing water pots, carts piled with fruits and vegetables. Accompanying the lively prose, Krishnaswami's refrain -- "Look! Look!" -- captures the joy of discovery that unites the community. As the villagers work together to clear out the abandoned well, they learn about ancient methods of water preservation that bring the fields, flora, and fauna back to life. An author's note provides context.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)