Follows the experiences of a young girl who dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village as she rises early every morning and makes long journeys to the well with a heavy pot that she carries on her head. - (Baker & Taylor)

"The story of one young girl's quest to bring clean drinking water to her African village"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

A tale based on the supermodel's childhood follows the experiences of a young girl who dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village as she rises early every morning and makes long journeys to the well with a heavy pot that she carries on her head. - (Baker & Taylor)

Based on supermodel Georgie Badiel’s childhood, a young girl dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village

With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie’s kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well. Instead of a crown, she wears a heavy pot on her head to collect the water. After the voyage home, after boiling the water to drink and clean with, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring. And she dreams. She dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own.

Inspired by the childhood of African–born model Georgie Badiel, acclaimed author Susan Verde and award-winning author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds have come together to tell this moving story. As a child in Burkina Faso, Georgie and the other girls in her village had to walk for miles each day to collect water. This vibrant, engaging picture book sheds light on this struggle that continues all over the world today, instilling hope for a future when all children will have access to clean drinking water.

Susan Verde grew up in a brownstone in the heart of Greenwich Village. She spent much of her time as a child clad in bell bottoms and rainbow suspenders, roller skating up and down her block with a skate key around her neck and a piece of chalk in her pocket (for spontaneous hopscotch). Susan's love of literature began in utero (according to her mother) and never dwindled. She can, to this day, relate very well to Amelia Bedelia. After spending a number of years working as an elementary school teacher, Susan now writes and teaches kid’s yoga in East Hampton, New York, where she lives amidst an explosion of Legos, art supplies, and picture books with her twin boys, Joshua and Gabriel, and her daughter, Sophia. They are the constant inspiration for her writing. They never let her forget how to see things from a child's point of view and keep the kid in her alive and kicking.


Georgie Badiel is a high-fashion model who hails from the landlocked country of Burkina Faso. After she won the title of Miss Africa in 2005, Georgie’s profile continued to soar as she appeared on the runways of designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Louis Vuitton, and Diane Von Furstenberg and was featured in editorials for magazines including Russian Vogue, Essence, and Elle. The Water Princess is inspired by her childhood in her small village in Burkina Faso.
 

Peter H. Reynolds is an author and illustrator, as well as the founder of the educational media company FableVision. Reynolds is best known for his children’s books about authentic learning, creativity, and self-expression. His picture books include The Dot, which has been published in over twenty languages, and the New York Times bestseller Someday by Alison McGhee. Reynolds lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, and is the co-owner of his family’s book store, The Blue Bunny Bookstore.
 

Booklist Reviews

Verde joins Badiel (fashion model and clean-drinking-water activist) to create a story based on Badiel's childhood experiences in Burkina Faso, one of many African countries where women walk miles every day to fetch water. In it, the fictional protagonist—Princess Gie Gie—and her mother set off for the river before dawn, and they return at dusk. Gie Gie's frustration is evident at first, but it soon dissipates in the romance of the walk with her mother. They sing and laugh and dance, bathed in the golden glow of Reynolds' charming rendition of sunlight on a vast, empty African plain. Gie Gie's questions about her village's lack of water are unanswered, but her day ends with a dream of one day bringing water to her "kingdom." Rich purple and tawny hues create an evocative backdrop to the story, while the friendly font softens the exhausting, arduous nature of fetching water. Readers are left to wonder if the power of dreaming can change reality, and inquisitive ones might be moved to look up the true story on Badiel's website. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

A dreamy, imaginative girl in Burkina Faso (the birthplace of fashion model and clean-water advocate Badiel) must journey far with her mother to get water every day. North American children may be surprised by this great need, and Verde's lyrical text may inspire young activists to help. Reynolds's art in dry tans capture Gie Gie's energy as she finds joy in her difficult life. Author's note appended. Copyright 2017 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

An international story which tackles a serious global issue with Reynolds' characteristic visual whimsy.Gie Gie—aka Princess Gie Gie—lives with her parents in Burkina Faso. In her kingdom under "the African sky, so wild and so close," she can tame wild dogs with her song and make grass sway, but despite grand attempts, she can neither bring the water closer to home nor make it clean. French words such as "maintenant!" (now!) and "maman" (mother) and local color like the karite tree and shea nuts place the story in a French-speaking African country. Every morning, Gie Gie and her mother perch rings of cloth and large clay pots on their heads and walk miles to the nearest well to fetch murky, brown water. The story is inspired by model Georgie Badiel, who founded the Georgie Badiel Foundation to make clean water accessible to West Africans. The details in Reynolds' expressive illustrations highlight the beauty of the West African landscape and of Princess Gie Gie, w ith her cornrowed and beaded hair, but will also help readers understand that everyone needs clean water—from the children of Burkina Faso to the children of Flint, Michigan. Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of potable water. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In a stirring, thought-provoking story based on the childhood of model Georgie Badiel in Burkina Faso, Verde and Reynolds follow a girl and her mother as they retrieve water for the family's use. Reynolds (whose previous books with Verde include I Am Yoga and The Museum) uses sumptuous violets and golds for the expansive African night sky and grassy plains—both of which young Gie Gie, a self-described princess with a wiry physique and beads in her braided hair, considers to be her domain. Gie Gie claims she can "tame the wild dogs with my song" and "make the wind play hide-and-seek," but summoning clean, readily accessible water is beyond her ability. Verde's poetic language reflects the length and difficulty of Gie Gie and her mother's trek, along with the positive spirit the girl brings to the task. Toward the end, the implicit injustice of the situation is addressed directly: "Maman," Gie Gie asks, "Why is the water so far? Why is the water not clear? Where is our water?" They are questions that readers will want answered, too. Ages 5–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—Based on the real childhood experiences of fashion model Georgie Badiel in Burkina Faso, this offering tells one child's story in an unspecified African locale. Princess Gie Gie tries to rule over her domain. She tames wild dogs with a song, makes tall grass dance when she dances, and plays hide-and-seek with the wind. However, try as she might, she can't draw clean water any closer to her home. Instead, the girl and her mother must make a long trek to gather water from the well with the rest of the women. They try to fill their time with music, imagination, and laughter, but the hardship and physical effort are palpable. Despite the daily struggles to get water, Princess Gie Gie never gives up looking for a solution. "I am Princess Gie Gie. My Kingdom? The African sky. The dusty earth. And, someday, the flowing, cool, crystal-clear water. Someday…." Perhaps, someday has now arrived. Badiel is helping to raise awareness and funds to bring clean drinking water to the people of Burkina Faso and other countries in Africa. While the text is informative and poetic, it is the imagery that will stick with readers. Reynolds's evocative watercolor, gouache, and digital ink paintings capture the glow of the hot sun, sparkle in the night sky, and will transport children to Princess Gie Gie's imagined kingdom. Kids will have to look to the author note and elsewhere for more specifics and possible solutions. VERDICT A lovely picture book, filled with messages of perseverance and hope.—Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID