Welcome to the
Water!
Blog Tour & Giveaway!
Welcome to the blog tour for Water! Why Every Drop Counts and How You Can Start Making Waves to Protect It. Did you know the water in your glass could be the same water the dinosaurs drank? Dive in for a week’s worth of interviews with fascinating “Water Warriors”, profiles on the latest H20-saving tech, and learn incredible facts about Earth’s water, the challenges facing it, and how your actions can help defend this precious resource.
Leading the Way for Clean Water
Q&A With “Water Warrior” Autumn Peltier
Autumn Peltier was eight years old when she learned that not everyone had access to clean, safe drinking water. It happened at an event at a First Nation community near her home in Ontario, Canada. In the bathroom were signs that said things like “Don’t drink the water” and “Water not for consumption.” When she asked about the signs later, her mom explained that many First Nation communities in Ontario must boil their water before drinking it, to kill harmful germs.
This really troubled Autumn, who is a member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation and had grown up listening to her Great-Aunt Josephine, a water activist, talk about how sacred and precious water is. When Autumn was just 15, she was named chief water commissioner by the Anishinabek Nation, an advocacy group for 40 First Nations across Ontario, Canada. She has followed in her aunt’s footsteps and has spoken all around the world—including at the United Nations, twice! — and is a renowned water activist.
Here we talk about what motivates her courageous work.
Q: How did your work as a water advocate and activist begin?
A: There was a public speaking contest at my elementary school, and the topic was, “What means the most to you?” We had to write and deliver the speech in our language, which is Anishinaabemowin. My speech was about water and the environment. A few years later, I was invited to the Children’s Climate Conference in Sweden, and then after that, the Assembly of First Nations Chief, in Deschênes, Quebec, wanted to hear what I had to say. From there, I was getting invitations from everywhere to speak and talk to kids about the environment.
Q: Have you always been comfortable speaking in front of crowds?
A: I was really scared to speak in front of people at first, but then I would think about my Great-Aunt Josephine. She used her voice because the water doesn’t have a voice; it can’t speak up. And if there are people that can’t speak up or are too afraid, she did it for them, too. All I have to think about is that I’m speaking up for the water and my people. It gives me a lot of motivation.
Q: Your great-aunt, Josephine Mandamin, was a water activist, and she walked the perimeter of all five Great Lakes to raise awareness for water issues. How has her work influenced you?
A: I spent a lot of time with her since I was a baby and even attended some of her water walks with her. For as long as I can remember, she was teaching me that water is a precious resource.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a water advocate?
A: In my culture, water is one of our most sacred elements because water gives us life. We depend on water. We need it. For me, it’s a really big role and I’m really happy to be able to carry on my Aunt Josephine’s work, represent indigenous youth, and represent my people.
Q: How do you educate yourself about this complicated issue?
A: I do a lot of research and Googling, and I actually go and physically visit the places where there are boil-water advisories. There, I talk to the people and say, “I want to hear your perspective on the issue.”
Q: What would you like young people to know about how they can help?
A: Anyone can do this work. It’s always a stronger message when it’s coming from more than one person, so I encourage other youth to speak up and advocate as well. There’s a lot you can do.
Q: When you talk to leaders and politicians, what do you want them to do to ensure First Nations communities have access to clean drinking water?
A: I’ve been to so many meetings where a leader makes promises like, Yes we’ll do this, yes we’ll do that, but I want them to act now. I would like them to pay more attention to this issue and to realize how serious it is. What do you want to do next? My goal is just to keep on doing this until I don’t have to. That’s exactly what my Aunt Josephine did. Nothing stopped her. About two days before she passed away, I visited her in the hospital and she told me, “Never stop doing the work, and never let anything stop you.” I basically live by those words now.
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About Water! Why Every Drop Counts and
How You Can Start Making Waves to Protect It
(ages 8-12, Paperback, National Geographic Kids Books)
Did you know the water in your glass could be the same water the dinosaurs drank? Discover more incredible facts about Earth’s water, the challenges facing it, and how your actions can help defend this precious resource.
No doubt about it, water is fascinating. It’s also essential. But our planet is facing some serious water problems: Drinkable water isn’t easily accessible to everyone, the demands for water around the globe are increasing while the supply is limited, and some human actions are causing disastrous ripple effects downstream for ecosystems and the animals that live in them.
Fortunately, there is hope! And that’s where this book comes in. By learning the ins and outs of important water issues and making small but powerful changes in our daily life, we can help protect the water that connects us all on our beautiful blue planet.
Features include:
- What kids can do right now to combat climate change
- How to make a water filter at home and other fun activities
- How small changes in your daily routine can equal big water savings
- Q&A’s with “Water Warriors” from around the world
- Special reports on “pulled-from-the-headlines” events that have recently impacted water and water supply, like the impact of war on water supply, the socio-economic implications of the water issues in Flint, MI, and how the residents of Cape Town South Africa pulled together to avoid “Day Zero.”
Water! is a fascinating look at Earth’s water and a call to action to young readers to help safeguard it.
About the Author:
Lisa M. Gerry is a writer and reporter who began her career as an intern at National Geographic Traveler magazine. She has since authored numerous books for National Geographic Kids, including Puppy Love and several installments of the 100 Things to . . . series. She has also worked as a writer for Time, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Website | Twitter
About the Expert Contributor:
SANDRA POSTEL (expert contributor) directs the Global Water Policy Project and is a National Geographic Explorer. She is a frequent lecturer, author, and consultant on global water issues, and in 2021, she won the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize, often described as the Nobel Prize for water. She is the author of Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity;Pillar of Sand: Can the Irrigation Miracle Last?;and Last Oasis: Facing Water Scarcity, which appears in eight languages and was the basis for a PBS documentary.
Website
GIVEAWAY
- One (1) winner will receive a copy of Water!
- US/Can only
- Ends 5/7 at 11:59 pm ET
- Enter via the Rafflecopter below
- Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Blog Tour Schedule
April 24th— YA Book Nerd
April 25th— Chat With Vera
April 26th – Always in the Middle
April 27th— YA Books Central
April 28th— Pragmatic Mom
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway here.
p.s. Related posts:
Environmental-Themed Picture Books
10 Environmental Picture Books
Kirkus reviews Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
Cover Reveal for I AM FARMER: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon
Food for the Future selected by dPICTUS as 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
Environmental Nonfiction Picture Books That Call Kids to Action
Environmental Crisis and Birth of Audubon Society
FOOD FOR THE FUTURE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
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BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
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