Water, Water by Cary Fagan illustrated by Jon McNaught

Overnight something catastrophic has happened to the world. Rafe finds himself alone in his room with just his dog. His room has somehow become detached from his house. The room is floating on an endless ocean. His parents and whole neighborhood are gone. From the other things he finds floating on this endless sea it seems everything in the world has been destroyed. 

Luckily Rafe is a resourceful kid and luckily his room has some useful things and even luckier on the water there is debris which he can use including cans of food. Then a girl washes up next to his floating room - she is on an air mattress with her cat. She does not speak English but Rafe helps her to climb into his floating room and the pair quickly establish a wonderful friendship.

The chapter headings reflect the problems Rafe has to solve. For example 50.RD is a box he pulls out of the water which contains fifty plastic ducks - can you think of a way he might use these? Stovepipe Hat is the chapter where the kids meet some pirates. It's a thrilling scene when they manage to escape. One of the things Rafe has in his room is his homework from school. He has been assigned a novel to read and his book report is due but he has not even opened his book. With all this time to fill he starts to read and the story, as with all good stories, totally transports him away from his current difficult and uncertain situation. This book also becomes important at the end of the story - this discovery will make you smile. 

You can see I have given this book five stars. This is a book that you should add to your school library and it would also be a terrific family read aloud. This book has 150 pages and 17 short chapters so it is a very quick book to read (and enjoy).

This apocalyptic Robinsonade makes unusual middle grade fare. Each episodic chapter addresses a new problem to be solved—finding food, surviving a storm, evading pirates—and, for the most part, the challenges are all handled in short order. Fagan never addresses why this flood has occurred (tsunami? rising sea levels? climate change?), if its effects are global or localized, or probes any sadness on Rafe’s part now that he is an orphan. In fact, many younger readers may read this as simply a grand fantasy adventure tale. ...  Water, Water is an accessible adventure that may spark deeper discussions. Canadian Review of Materials

Publisher blurb: One morning Rafe wakes up to discover his bedroom is floating in a vast sea of water. Alone with only his dog for company, Rafe adapts to this strange new world by fishing cans of food out of the water and keeping watch. Boxes float by, as does a woman, playing her cello. Then, one day, Rafe fishes out a young girl, who joins him in his room — they don't speak the same language, but they will face this uncertain future together.

This book is a splendid new discovery by Canadian author Cary Fagan. I previously loved The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster. In 2022 I said it was my book of the year! I am not sure how I discovered Water, Water but I think it might have been when I was perusing the Tundra book publisher catalogue. The paperback edition [9780735270053] of Water, Water was published in 2024. I absolutely adore the cover and the internal illustrations are also terrific and mirror the cover in their use of aqua blue, black and white. Jon McNaught lives in Edinburgh. 

Cary Fagan (born 1957) is a Canadian writer of novels, short stories, and children's books. Here is partial list of his books:

• Gogol's Coat (Tundra Books, 1999), illustrated by Regolo Ricci, 
• The Market Wedding (Tundra, 2000), illus. Regolo Ricci
• Daughter of the Great Zandini (Tundra, 2001), illus. Cybèle Young
• The Fortress of Kaspar Snit (Tundra, 2004), novel
• Ten Old Men and a Mouse (Tundra, 2007), illus. Gary Clement
• My New Shirt (Tundra, 2007), illus. Dušan Petričić
• Directed by Kaspar Snit (Tundra, 2007), sequel novel
• Mr. Karp's Last Glass (Tundra, 2007), illus. Selçuk Demirel
• Ten Lessons for Kaspar Snit (Tundra, 2008), sequel novel
• Thing-Thing (Tundra, 2008), illus. Nicolas Debon
• Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas (Tundra, 2009), illus. Dušan Petričić
• Book of Big Brothers (Groundwood Books, 2010), illus. Luc Melanson
• The Big Swim (Groundwood, 2010), novel
• Banjo of Destiny (Groundwood, 2011), illus. Selçuk Demirel
• Ella May and the Wishing Stone (Tundra, 2011), illus. Geneviève Côté
• Mr. Zinger's Hat (Tundra, 2012), illus. Dušan Petričić
• The Boy in the Box (Penguin Canada, 2012), novel; Master Melville's Medicine Show, book 1
• Danny, Who Fell in a Hole (Groundwood, 2013), illus. Milan Pavlovic
• Oy, Feh, So (Groundwood, 2013), illus. Gary Clement
• Little Blue Chair (Tundra, 2017), illus. Madelie Kloepper
• A Cage Went in Search of a Bird (Groundwood, 2017), illus. Banafsheh Erfanian
• Wolfie & Fly (Tundra, 2017), illus. Zoe Si
• Mort Ziff is Not Dead (Penguin Canada)
• What Are You Doing, Benny? (Tundra, 2019), illus. Kady MacDonald Denton
• The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster (Tundra, 2019)
• King Mouse (Tundra, 2019), illus. Dena Seiferling
• Mr. Tempkin Climbs a Tree (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2019), illus. Carles Arbat
• Son of Happy (Groundwood, 2020), illus. Milan Pavlović
• Bear Wants to Sing (Tundra, 2021), illus. Dena Seiferling
• Water, Water (Tundra, 2022)
• Boney (Groundwood, 2022)
• Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door (Tundra, 2023)

If you enjoy Water, Water and want another dystopian story involving a flood and survival look for this book:

Across the Risen Sea

The final scene in Water, Water reminded me of this amazing picture book for older readers:

As Time went by

You might also look for this verse novel if you like survival stories:

Alone

King Mouse by Cary Fagan illustrated by Dena Seiferling

"A mouse woke up hungry. He came out his hole and sniffed the air." 

Then he noticed something on the grass - a tiny glittering crown. By simply putting on the crown the other animals decide this mouse must be the king. They set about gathering tempting food and then perform a play for his amusement. Wait a minute a snake comes along and she finds another crown. Perhaps she is the queen? All the animals bow low. Then the fox finds a crown, the tortoise finds a crown and the crow finds a crown. Everyone has a crown - everyone except the bear. 

"The bear lowered his head. It wasn't any fun being the only one who wasn't a king or a queen. He lumbered away."

If you are reading this book with an older group of students you might stop the story at this point and ask the group to think of ways to resolve or conclude this story.

Step into this book - King Mouse - slowly. The first page is very important. A young child is riding a tricycle with a tray at the back. The tray holds some paper crowns and the child has not noticed but nearly all of them have spilled out of the tray into the grass.

Now go back to the cover. The title is in embossed gold foil! Under the dust jacket there is a surprise. On the front end paper there is a gold 'Ex-Libris' illustration that looks like a book plate. I even love the book dedication - 'To my grade two teacher, Miss Applebaum, wherever you are.'

Even though this is a hardcover book from the US it is affordable for your school library and I think it would be an excellent addition if you have some money to spend. [9781406393774]

Remember I said to linger over the first page - make sure you also linger over the final image too. 

Graceful and perceptive in both illustration and text, the timeless theme is particularly pertinent today. Kirkus Star review

When the mouse is able to look beyond his own situation and notice someone who is in distress, it is profound and moving. 32 Pages: A passion for Picture Books

“Crisp writing, a story that engages and challenges early readers, gorgeous illustrations, and a warming conclusion make this a must-read for all parents and older children.” Sublime Book review

Fagan’s dialogue-rich storytelling spotlights themes of pride, envy, disappointment, friendship, inclusion, and modesty and makes this a perfect tale ... Celebrate picture Books

The perfect companion read for this book is It fell from the Sky by the Fan Brothers.

Here are some other books illustrated by Dena Seiferling including a new one by Eric Fan.

Read an interview with Dean Seiferling about her book. You can also see art from King Mouse with the interview. 

The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster by Cary Fagan

Hartley Staples is not related to the famous Staples who own a chain of Office Supply stores. Hartely comes from a fairly regular family - mum, dad, older brother, older sister and little brother except right now his family is incomplete. His brother Jackson has left, disappeared, run away. No one thinks he is dead but the grief in the family is terrible and Hartley feels it quite acutely because he has a high level of emotional intelligence. His older sister Heather, twin to Jackson, has withdrawn into herself and seems constantly angry especially with Hartley and younger brother George seems too young to really understand. Mum and Dad are trying to be normal but there is a deep sadness hanging over everything they try to do.

While visiting the quirky town library, Hartley finds a strange homemade postcard. Over the coming days he finds more of them in strange places. They have the initials G.O. and he realises they are numbered. His collection contains 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. But who is making these interesting and poetic cards and why.

"It was the size and shape of a postcard, or maybe one of those recipe cards that people used to use before it was possible just to google "tuna casserole'. On the card were pictures and words that made up a kind of collage. It wasn't the original, with the pieces stuck down, but a photocopy maybe."

"Another card. It was sticking out from between two cereal boxes. I could even see the g.o. in the corner. I mean, how likely was it that two people with the same initials were leaving cards around Whirton?"

"It felt good to have found another one, really good. But I still wanted to know something about g.o. I knew she was a teenage girl who lived around here. That meant she went to high school. The same high school as my sister Heather. Maybe Heather knew who g.o. was."

Adding to Hartley's problems, his teacher has set her famous end of middle school special interest project and Hartley has no idea what to talk about and since Jackson left his best friend Zack no longer talks to him. Hartley feels utterly rejected and confused. 

In alternate chapters we meet Gretchen Oyster. She also has a complex life split between her father who has been injured in a work accident and is now in a wheelchair and her mum who left the family many years ago. Gretchen is also plagued by three dreadful bullies at school who taunt her about her Asian heritage and adoption. 

Somehow these two wounded kids need to meet not to provide some sort of fairy tale ending but just because it is clear there are ways they can help each other.

Filled with beautiful art and poignant prose, Cary Fagan’s latest middle grade novel is funny and touching in equal measure. ... It will fill you up and make you believe in the healing power of art and human connection. Book Page

A charmingly eccentric tale of briefly intersecting lives making meaning from art. Kirkus

Cary Fagan’s short novel packs a lot into a middle-grade story. The art cards are beautifully reproduced in full colour, and their messages are philosophical and poetic but quirky, not academic. Fagan has also captured the voice of a 13-year-old boy accurately. Hartley, as narrator, speaks directly to the reader in a friendly, funny tone, and hides his pain behind immediate events. Canadian Review of Materials

Did you see my five stars? This means you need to rush out and buy this book, read it, add it to your own book collection and then pick up another copy for your school library and put this book into the hands of your readers aged 10+. This is my book of the year for upper Primary. Read a generous extract here. I love the cover by Felicita Sala. 

Cary Fagan has written award-winning books for both adults and children. Cary has won the City of Toronto Book Award, the Jewish Book Committee Prize for Fiction and the Mr. Christie Silver Medal. His numerous kids’ books include Mort Ziff Is Not Dead, the Kaspar Snit novels, the Wolfie & Fly chapter books and the picture books King Mouse, Bear Wants to Sing, What Are You Doing, Benny? and Little Blue Chair. Mr. Zinger’s Hat, another of his picture books, was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. In addition to his books for children, Cary is the author of six novels and three story collections for adults. He was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family. Penguin Random House

I would pair this book with Bird by Crystal Chan:

Ella May and the Wishing Stone by Cary Fagan illustrated by Genevieve Cote

Ella May comes home from the beach with a stone. It seems special because it has a line going all the way around.  She sings a little song:

Wish, wish, I'm making a wish

On my wishing stone.

And it will come true, oh yes it will,

Because I bought you home.

While Ella May is sitting on her porch her best friend Manuel comes past. He invites Ella May to play a game of hopscotch but she says no. Other friends arrive but Ella May will not share her stone so the children go looking for their own. Ella May declares their stone are no good.

"Nope and double nope ... none of your stones has a line going all-all-all the way around it."

Manuel is not defeated. He goes home and returns with a cart and for just one penny he offers to make wishing stones for everyone. The children are so pleased to have their own wishing stones. They make their wishes for a pony and a walk on the moon. Ella May is very put out. She wants her stone to be the only wishing stone. Then it starts to rain and something happens to those stones.

"Once again Ella May was the only one with a wishing stone, but she didn't feel as happy as she thought she would."

Now we have a beautiful plot twist.  Ella May is not defeated. She goes inside her house and comes out with a crate of assorted objects such as a broom which can be transformed into a pony and empty egg cartons which feel just like the lunar surface. Can you guess how the children might now use their stones?

This book is such a discovery for me.  I want to rush out and share Ella May and the Wishing Stone with a group of young children and buy some copies to pop into the library collections of my friends. You can see a video of the whole book here.

One more thing -  as I sat down now to talk about Ella May and the Wishing stone, the cover of Little Blue Chair also by Cary Fagan appeared on the Canadian Children's Book Centre Facebook page. Cary Fagan has written a number of picture books and novels. I previously talked about Wolfie and Fly. I now need to hunt out some more books by Cary Fagan there are sure to be some others just as splendid as Ella May and the Wishing Stone.

Refreshingly, these lessons are not delivered in a didactic or moralistic tone but emerge serendipitously, rather like appearance of the stone, itself. University of Manitoba

The net result is an original and imaginative treatment of one of the hardest lessons of early childhood – sharing – in a colourful package that’s likely to charm kids and adults alike. Quill and Quire

Fagan believably captures the delicate balance of friendship in the very young and lets the story pay out with welcome complexity. Kirkus

Wolfie & Fly by Cary Fagan illustrated by Zoe Si

The box was in the basement. ... On the side was the name of the refrigerator brand, Super Cool. ... She lay down beside the box. Lying down was also good for helping her think.
I know! she thought. A submarine!

I have talked about this on other occasions. We are so lucky here in Australia to have access to books from around the world and because we speak English we can find books from UK, USA, NZ and in this case from Canada.  The real trick is in discovering books from far away.

This little gem Wolfie and Fly has just 85 pages and so there is no excuse - you need to pick this up and read it now. I timed myself and it only took 15 minutes to read the whole book. There are lots of illustrations and a larger print size making this is a perfect little beginning novel.

Wolfie (real name Renata) is so named because she is a lone wolf.

"Renata didn't have any friends.
Not even one.
Did this bother her? No it did not.
Renata didn't want any friends. She thought other kids were annoying. Other kids whined or talked too much or told stupid jokes or wanted to play boring games. Other kids weren't interested in the same things as Renata. They just got in the way."

I guess you know how this is going to end.  Renata clearly needs a special friend. Luckily the boy next door is perfect. He is unstoppable, energetic, imaginative and also in need of a friend.  Livingston Flott is known as Fly.

"Because I buzz around and annoy people. But I look at it in a positive way. I mean, a fly is persistent. A fly is a survivor. You can call me Fly if you say it in a nice way."

Together these unlikely friends make a submarine and set off on an underwater adventure complete with a lost baseball, funny songs, clown fish, home made scuba gear and a real pirate. You can read a more plot details in this review.

I would compare this book with the Frog and Toad series, Mouse and Mole series and Bonny Becker's bear series.  You could also use The Tunnel by Anthony Brown for a discussion about the importance of using your imagination.

This delightful story is a wonderful celebration of the power of the imagination. It turns out that having, and using, ones imagination can make all kinds of wonderful things happen. It turns out that having an adventure in a big cardboard box submarine can even make a lone wolf decide that being alone isn’t always a good thing. Through the looking Glass Review

Here is book two from this new series: