Using the most appropriate medium--watercolors--Asch has created lovely, memorable images of water in a patchwork of colors. From tears to floods, water is shown in a softly hued rainbow spectrum. A view of multicolored clouds set against a teal sky depict water high in the sky ; the levels of the water table, in luscious, Life-Saver hues, reveal water deep in the earth. The artist's medium reminds us of all the beauty that water can bring. Very young children are likely to forget the details, but they'll remember the lovely scenery that the water flows around and through.

Water is rain. Water is dew. Water is ice and snow.' A very basic introduction to water is presented in a simple text accompanied by stylized artwork that portrays water, in all its forms, as multicolored and vibrant. A wordless double-page spread depicting a busy town shows some of the important uses for this vital resource, including drinking, bathing, and firefighting. Regrettably, a misleading statement--'water is what fish 'breathe''--is included.

``Water is dew. Water is ice and snow.'' No matter what form it takes, seldom has plain old water appeared so colorful as in this rainbow-hued look at rain, dew, snowflakes, clouds, rivers, floods, and seas. Asch celebrates water's many forms with a succinct text and lush paintings done in mostly in softly muted watercolors of aqua, green, rose, blue, and yellow. They look as if they were created with a wet-on-wet technique that makes every hue lightly bleed into its neighbor. Water appears as ribbons of color, one sliding into the other, while objects that are not (in readers' minds) specifically water-like—trees, rocks, roots—are similarly colored. Perhaps the author intends to show water is everything and everything is water, but the concept is not fully realized for this age group. The whole is charming, but more successful as art than science. Though catalogued as nonfiction, this title will be better off in the picture book section. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7)"

PreS-Gr 1--This celebration of water is a companion volume to The Earth and I (Harcourt, 1994), and shares its format and theme--nature appreciation. Asch identifies some of the many places water is found, from the obvious (rivers, lakes, rain, ice) to the not so obvious (clouds, dew, a tear). Although most examples will be familiar to young children, the picture of clouds with the caption ``Water is high in the sky'' may confuse them. A double-page spread of an urban scene shows the many uses of water, from car washing to putting out fires. As in The Earth and I, brightly hued watercolor, acrylic, and colored-pencil illustrations executed in collage style create a kaleidoscopic effect. However, despite the vivid colors and flowing lines, some of them appear static. Overall, though, the book is visually appealing. Michelle Koch's World Water Watch (Greenwillow, 1993) offers a similar message at a slightly higher level and provides more substantial information. Asch's title is not an essential purchase, but it is a useful and attractive way to develop an appreciation for the environment in young readers.--Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI