LET'S BUILD A DAM!

Siblings + rocks + running water + imagination = adventure.

In this tale translated from German, Lily and May are building a dam near their house. Their younger brother, Noah, adds his special green rock to the dam but quickly loses interest and decides to fish instead. As the girls continue to work, readers will become aware that Noah is suddenly fishing not from the dam, but from a fishing boat that’s come into view, and in the distance, there are ship’s sails. A king arrives, and while he refuses to schlep rocks, his men help. Suddenly, the king calls for help against a pirate attack. May and Lily echo his call, telling the pirates to join in the building, and they daren’t refuse. Even the king pitches in. “It would have been a really good day if Noah hadn’t wanted his stone back….” As the three soaked sibs drink Mom-supplied hot chocolate, they dream of tomorrow’s imaginary adventures. Di Giorgio’s perspective remains the same as the children build, allowing readers to immediately recognize the changes that happen between the page turns: the growing dam, the arrival of a boat and then a ship, the unfolding imaginary scene. The rocks are wonderfully textured and patterned. May and her mother have light skin and dark hair, Lily has light brown skin and Afro-textured hair, and Noah has light skin and blond hair. The king, his men, and the pirates are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Powerfully demonstrates the wonders imagination can dream up…and how quickly reality can crash back in.