Earth Day is just around the corner! Take a quick dip (or a deep dive!) into rivers and watersheds with these book pairing ideas that complement THIS IS THE BOAT THAT BEN BUILT.

Nonfiction

WATERSHEDS: A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK FOR HEALTHY WATER

by Clive Dobson and Gregor Gilpin Beck

published by Firefly Books; Second Edition, Revised and Updated

This book is fully illustrated and explains the basics of the water cycle and nutrient cycles before going on to environmental issues, implications, and solutions.

Board book

AMIK by Sharon King

published by Kegedonce Press

A look at the daily endeavors of a beaver (amik) alongside other animals in the ecosystem. Text appears in both English and Anishinaabemowin.

Picture book (fiction)

MARTIN AND THE RIVER by Jon-Erik Lappano and Josee Bisaillon

published by Groundwood Books

When Martin leaves the country and the river he loves for life in the city, he discovers a way to connect with nature in the city, too.

Picture book (nonfiction)

THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF WATER by Anne-Sophie Baumann and Vanessa Robidou

published by Chronicle Books

Full disclosure: I just stumbled across this one today so I haven’t read it, but it sure looks like a comprehensive interactive book. From the publisher: “Readers can find out about the water cycle, dive into the ocean with marine animals, trace how water gets from a lake to our homes and explore ways in which water energy is used in our daily lives.”

Poetry

SWEET WATER: POEMS FOR THE WATERSHED, edited by Yvonne Blomer

published by Caitlin Press Inc.

This collection from poets in Canada, the US, and the UK examines water “from every angle – the pitcher plant, the beaver and the American Bull Frog, rain, clouds, smog, the many ducks and the salmon and the last lake sturgeon.”

Have fun exploring these titles! Teacher guide and fact sheets for THIS IS THE BOAT THAT BEN BUILT are linked here.