Dancing with Water [Hardcover]

An intergenerational story about a nonbinary child who learns the tradition of well digging in this picture book about community, hope, and protecting the Earth’s water.

As soon as Kit’s old enough to ride in Grandpa's truck, they begin joining him to dig wells for their community. Grandpa is magic. He can feel the weather in his bones, and he’s able to dance with water. With just a tree branch in his hand, Grandpa sways and spins over the land until he finds a spot to dig a hole into the waiting earth. When the water springs up, Grandpa and Kit jump for joy.

As new hotels and factories pop up across town, clean water becomes harder to find. Sometimes, no water flows at all. Kit is sad for Grandpa—and for Earth. But one day, Grandpa senses that Kit is ready to dance with water too. Grandpa reminds Kit that the energy and strength of their people flows through the water. As they wait and watch for fresh, clear water to flow up from the ground again, Kit recognizes the power shared between themself and Earth.PRAISE FOR DANCING WITH WATER by Gwendolyn Wallace; Illustrated by Tonya Engel:

An American Library Association (ALA) 2026 Rainbow Book List
A Bank Street Best Children's Books of 2026
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2025
The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show selection

★ “Powerful…could find curricular connections in science or civics discussions. The book can be paired with Carole Lindstrom’s We Are Water Protectors. An encompassing story of intergenerational relationships concludes with an author’s note about the disproportionate impact of water access for communities of color. …Recommended first purchase folƒŽ