Writing with candor as well as some humor, Mulder gently urges readers who live in the developed world to never take fresh water for granted in this addition to the Orca Footprint ecology series. Chapters focus on the history of human efforts to harness and clean water, the water cycle, and how world nations have found innovative methods to access water (for example, in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, families remove the salt from their water using desalinating devices run on sunlight). Photographs of individuals from around the world collecting and using water put the topic in vivid focus, as do statistics that note that one in six people "don't have access to clean water. Almost half of those people live in Africa." Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Gr 4–6—Mulder's latest addition to her solid repertoire of environmentally conscious books addresses the crises (pollution, shortages, etc.) of the global water supply. Her conversational style keeps the material from being too clinical or gloom-and-doom, without ever seeming superficial. Ideal for reports, the book is packed with great information on everything from the way civilizations have collected and used water throughout history, sobering assessments of the present and future availability of clean water, and intriguing solutions already employed, such as fog catchers, or that are still in their experimental stages. Worthwhile factoids, sidebars, and interesting photographs accompanied by instructive captions add to the abundance of meaningful material. Mulder is honest about the emergency unfolding around this precious resource, and though the situation is fairly dire, she empowers her readers by offering feasible suggestions that individuals can use to improve things. And like raindrops falling into a collection barrel, each and every single conscientious action adds up. An excellent resource on the topic.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR