ALA Booklist (Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

A girl talks to water about its varied qualities. First, she acknowledges its liquid form, pouring from faucets, spraying from showers and sprinklers, and flowing into stream, river, and ocean. There are quiet lakes and noisy pools, sliding teardrops and pouring rain. She also recognizes water vapor in steam, clouds, and fog. Frozen water can be "hard as rock" (ice cube, iceberg, ice rink) or "soft as a feather" (snow). But in any form, "Hey, water, thank you!" The text creates an easy-going, conversational tone while maintaining a good balance of scientific knowledge, everyday observation, and a child's perspective. In the book's artwork, sumi ink brush drawings delineate forms, while color is added digitally. The brushstrokes bring a sense of spontaneity and energy to the scenes, which show up beautifully from a distance. A large, labeled picture illustrates the water cycle. Appended pages include more detailed discussions of water's different forms as well as the importance of conservation. A handsome picture book that's well suited to reading aloud, especially for classroom units on water.

Kirkus Reviews

Portis' latest picture book is a joyful, lyrical celebration of water.In it, protagonist Zoe (the name is revealed only at the end of the book) realizes that water is "all around" and discovers it everywhere: in her home, in nature, in her community, and in herself ("sometimes you slide down my cheek without a sound"). From page to page and, subtly, through the seasons, she engages in a game of hide-and-seek with water's many states—from ice ("Sometimes you freeze hard as a rock—a rock that floats, / or a rock we can skate on") to steam ("Water, even when you try to fool me, I know you. You blast and huff. You whistle and puff"). Through it all, as she declares at the end, "water, I know it's you!" Done with brush and sumi ink and then digitally colored, Portis' bold illustrations undulate on the page—raindrops roar and pour; dwarfing a whale, oceans surge (even on the endpapers). Words describing the different types of water celebrated ("shower"; "puddle"; "fog") are printed in a large font that harmonizes with the illustrations' brushy look. The picture book also includes informative backmatter: an illustration of the water cycle, a manifesto to conserve water, and a list of additional resources about water and water experiments. Zoe has brown skin and straight, black hair.An energetic and literary introduction to water science by the author/illustrator of the award-winning Not a Box (2006). (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Portis narrates in a conversational tone--Hey, water! I know you! You-re all around.- But her story tackles a tricky cognitive task-recognizing an element that masquerades in different states. Clean graphic spreads mimic a map, with aerial views of water on the surface of the Earth in the matte palette that Portis (Not a Box) fans know. Each watery object--stream,- -river,- -ocean--is captioned in block letters with running text that conveys the actions of liquid water: -You trickle... and gurgle... and rush toward the sea.- But water is more complicated than this: -Water, even when you try to fool me, I know you.- It can hang suspended in midair as vapor (-You hide in the air and drift-) or be solid as -a rock that floats,- or -soft as a feather and fancier than lace. But water, I know it-s you!- The same element can exist in several different forms, the words imply-our senses don-t always tell us the truth about identity. Notes at the end with additional illustrations provide more information about states of matter, the water cycle, and conservation. Ages 4-8. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary. (Mar.)