THE THREE WATER DROP BROTHERS

Three personified drops of water demonstrate ways in which water moves on our planet.

The water drops, born when “lava gushed out of the ground,” are brothers. They fall to the ground with other raindrops, become part of the ocean, and observe life in the sea until they become “curious about the outside world.” The brave oldest brother heads to the surface of the ocean and becomes vapor, then a cloud, a raindrop, a cloud once again, and finally a snowflake on a glacier, which melts into the ocean. The middle brother wiggles his way into the earth, explores the underground, heads back to the surface, and also eventually joins the ocean again. The shy youngest brother enters the soft soil, finds himself inside a leaf, and makes his way first inside, then outside of a cow (in the form of milk). When a boy drinks the milk and urinates, the drop enters the river and then, once again, the ocean—bringing all three brothers full circle. This Korean import, with its naïve drawings and patterned, velvety textures, will delight young readers as they follow the path of each water droplet. The text possesses a charming and childlike plainspokenness: “A long, long time ago, planet Earth was born. Planet Earth was very, very hot.” And the three simply shaped dots with their pleasant, smiling faces will endear themselves to readers.

An adventure both entertaining and informative.