Nya's Long Walk: A Step at a Time

Newbery Medalist Park takes a character from her 2010 novel, A Long Walk to Water, and tells her story in a new format. Nya, a South Sudanese girl, must fetch water for her family from a distant well. Coretta Scott King Award-winner Pinkney paints Nya steadying her can with one hand and reaching for her younger sister Akeer with the other. On the way home, Akeer collapses, ill, and Nya must carry both her sibling and their water "at least half a morning's walk" back home. Pinkney follows their intense journey across broad spreads, tracing the scrabbly vegetation with loose lines and the sand with swirls of sepia and gold. When she finally makes it home, Nya discovers that her ordeal isn't over, and she must accompany Mama and Akeer to a clinic a couple of days' walk away. In the end, the earlier book's real-life hero, Salva Dut, drills a well for Nya's community, lessening the occurrence of waterborne disease. With compassion, the creators present younger readers with a portrait of a life in which determination is needed just to get enough clean water to drink, a reality for many villagers in South Sudan. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 1-4--Nya lives in a village in South Sudan without easy access to clean water. With her younger sister Akeer, she sets out on the long trek to the water hole. Akeer is unusually slow and out of temper. As Nya finally reaches the water, she realizes that her sister is frighteningly ill. Far from the village, Nya has no choice but to carry both the water and her sister to find help. The weight is a burden Nya can barely manage, but she fights through the fatigue with small goals--making it to a thorn bush and then a stump--anything to keep herself going. Nya demonstrates extraordinary strength and perseverance in the face of daunting challenges. The story concludes with Nya's family setting off in search of medical attention, which may feel like a cliff-hanger to some readers. However, an epilogue assures young readers of Akeer's recovery while also explaining the humanitarian efforts of a nonprofit organization called Water for South Sudan. This isn't the first time Nya's experiences have been put to the page. She was a feature character in the author's middle grade novel A Long Walk to Water. As this new picture book companion lacks the depth of detail included in the novel, younger children may benefit from additional discussion regarding the geography, culture, and socioeconomic conditions of South Sudan. Regardless, many children will realize (likely for the first time) that not all children have access to such basic necessities as clean drinking water. The illustrations beautifully capture life in a small South Sudanese village and earth-toned swirls create a lovely impression of dust and heat. VERDICT A thought-provoking story to inspire empathy and social consciousness.--Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Newbery medalist Park returns to the theme of her acclaimed novel A Long Walk to Water (2010), bringing a tender sensibility to this blend of fiction and reality that brings home the visceral fragility of living without access to fresh, clean water."—Booklist

"With compassion, the creators present younger readers with a portrait of a life in which determination is needed just to get enough clean water to drink, a reality for many villagers in South Sudan."—Publishers Weekly

"Pinkney's swirling watercolors aptly portray the open topography of South Sudan and depict both the hardships and closeness of this family....[This book] helps young readers understand the reali-ties of this water crisis and the solutions that have improved the quality of life for many."—The Horn Book

"The illustrations beautifully capture life in a small South Sudanese village and earth-toned swirls create a lovely impression of dust and heat...A thought-provoking story to inspire -empathy and social consciousness."—School Library Journal