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The Watertower
Nobody in Preston could remember when the watertower was built, or who had built it, but there it stood on Shooter's Hill — its iron legs rusted, its egg-shaped tank warped and leaking — casting a long dark shadow across the valley, across Preston itself.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
29 people are currently reading
714 people want to read
About the author
Gary Crew
96 books66 followersDr Gary Crew, author of novels, short stories and picture books for older children and young adults, began his writing career in 1985, when he was a high school teacher. His books are challenging and intriguing, often based on non-fiction. As well as writing fiction, Gary is a Associate Professor in Creative Writing, Children's and Adult Literature, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and editor of the After Dark series.
He lives with his wife Christine on several acres in the cool, high mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia in a house called 'Green Mansions' which is shaded by over 200 Australian rainforest palms he has cultivated. He enjoys gardening, reading, and playing with his dogs Ferris, Beulah, and Miss Wendy. In his spare time he has created an Australian Rainforest Garden around his home, filled with Australian palms. Gary loves to visit antique shops looking for curios and beautiful objects.
Gary Crew has been awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the year four times: twice for Book of the Year for Young Adult Older Readers (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for Picture Book of the Year with First Light in 1993 (illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe) and The Watertower (illustrated by Steven Woolman) in 1994. Gary’s illustrated book, Memorial (with Shaun Tan) was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book in 2000 and short listed for the Queensland Premier’s Awards. He has also won the Wilderness Society Award, the Whitley Award and the Aurealis Award for Speculative Fiction.
In the USA he has been twice short listed for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award for Youth and the Hungry Minds Review American Children’s Book of distinction. In Europe he has twice been and twice the prestigious White Raven Award for his illustrated books. Among his many Australian awards is the Ned Kelly Prize for Crime Fiction, the New South Wales Premier’s Award and the Victorian Premier’s Award. He has been short listed for both the Queensland Premier’s and the Western Australian Premier’s awards for Fiction.
He lives with his wife Christine on several acres in the cool, high mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia in a house called 'Green Mansions' which is shaded by over 200 Australian rainforest palms he has cultivated. He enjoys gardening, reading, and playing with his dogs Ferris, Beulah, and Miss Wendy. In his spare time he has created an Australian Rainforest Garden around his home, filled with Australian palms. Gary loves to visit antique shops looking for curios and beautiful objects.
Gary Crew has been awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the year four times: twice for Book of the Year for Young Adult Older Readers (Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel’s Gate in 1993) and twice for Picture Book of the Year with First Light in 1993 (illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe) and The Watertower (illustrated by Steven Woolman) in 1994. Gary’s illustrated book, Memorial (with Shaun Tan) was awarded the Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book in 2000 and short listed for the Queensland Premier’s Awards. He has also won the Wilderness Society Award, the Whitley Award and the Aurealis Award for Speculative Fiction.
In the USA he has been twice short listed for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award for Youth and the Hungry Minds Review American Children’s Book of distinction. In Europe he has twice been and twice the prestigious White Raven Award for his illustrated books. Among his many Australian awards is the Ned Kelly Prize for Crime Fiction, the New South Wales Premier’s Award and the Victorian Premier’s Award. He has been short listed for both the Queensland Premier’s and the Western Australian Premier’s awards for Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
November 18, 2013
The ‘Watertower’ is essentially a graphic novel or visual text, making use of both words and art to impart the story. The books itself centres around two boys who decide to explore an old water tower, which towers over the small mid American town of Preston. The Water tower dominates the town, standing high upon Shooter’s hill.
Two Boys, Spike and Bubba decide to investigate the tower during an especially hot summer’s day, hoping to enjoy the perceived coolness of the water within. The power of the descriptive language used by Crew underlines the ‘otherness’, which lies within the tower. The scorching hot, bright day is contacted with the ‘dark damp and dead’ interior. And as the boys tentatively explore the dank internal world of the tower, it’s clear there’s something wrong.
The story itself moves swiftly and well paced.
The illustrations are at least as important as the text; indeed in some respects it’s more important. A good example of the is the town’s people, where the narrative itself says nothing but the images make it clear that, for the inhabitants, the boys exploring the water tower has a far greater significance than an antidote to a scorching hot day.
All in all an excellent and really quite gripping story with so much unsaid and yet clear from the clever combination of text and image.
As we read this in year 6 as inspiration for the class’s own ghost story I would say that this text is ideal for KS2
Two Boys, Spike and Bubba decide to investigate the tower during an especially hot summer’s day, hoping to enjoy the perceived coolness of the water within. The power of the descriptive language used by Crew underlines the ‘otherness’, which lies within the tower. The scorching hot, bright day is contacted with the ‘dark damp and dead’ interior. And as the boys tentatively explore the dank internal world of the tower, it’s clear there’s something wrong.
The story itself moves swiftly and well paced.
The illustrations are at least as important as the text; indeed in some respects it’s more important. A good example of the is the town’s people, where the narrative itself says nothing but the images make it clear that, for the inhabitants, the boys exploring the water tower has a far greater significance than an antidote to a scorching hot day.
All in all an excellent and really quite gripping story with so much unsaid and yet clear from the clever combination of text and image.
As we read this in year 6 as inspiration for the class’s own ghost story I would say that this text is ideal for KS2
April 11, 2011
This is actually one of the most freightening things I have ever read. I was 11 at the time and I experienced sleepless night after night after reading it. This probably should be embarrassing to admit but honestly I dont care. TWAS AMAZING
May 22, 2018
Crew and Woolman have created something intensely eerie and mysterious in 'The Watertower'. As soon as I saw the cover of the book I knew that what I was about to read would be very different and complex as a picture book. However, the written word provides only half of the story. You definitely need to immerse yourself with the story itself as well as the brilliantly clever illustrations to uncover more. This being said, there are definitely more questions raised than answered- the more you discover, the more you want to know!
Whilst I was reading, I was confronted with a strong haunting feeling that something wasn't quite right. The way the book is set out is a massive contributor to this- the way you have to rotate the book and the layout of the text/illustrations signify much more than just an interesting form of presentation.
It's refreshing to see challenging and complex stories being told in unique ways. It would be excellent to discuss with children and very interesting to see their opinions of the book after a first reading. Much like myself, I can imagine that children might be slightly disappointed in the ending of the book. Once you delve deeper into the vocabulary and illustrations you end up discovering something full of intrigue and mystery.
It would have been interesting to see more of this book and where the story could have gone. However, the ending allows readers to create their own interpretations. The distinctive nature of the book doesn't just provide answers for the reader but rather allows them to create their own.
Whilst I was reading, I was confronted with a strong haunting feeling that something wasn't quite right. The way the book is set out is a massive contributor to this- the way you have to rotate the book and the layout of the text/illustrations signify much more than just an interesting form of presentation.
It's refreshing to see challenging and complex stories being told in unique ways. It would be excellent to discuss with children and very interesting to see their opinions of the book after a first reading. Much like myself, I can imagine that children might be slightly disappointed in the ending of the book. Once you delve deeper into the vocabulary and illustrations you end up discovering something full of intrigue and mystery.
It would have been interesting to see more of this book and where the story could have gone. However, the ending allows readers to create their own interpretations. The distinctive nature of the book doesn't just provide answers for the reader but rather allows them to create their own.
February 18, 2014
This book draws you in right from the beginning with the cover. The cover is eerie and also has some foreshadowing to what is to come. This is a great mystery book for children and I really believe that older children will love it.
In the book two young boys named Bubba and Scott decide to go swimming in the water tower on Shooters Hill. The water tower is eerie and the pictures show green water and creepy images. These pictures give you the feeling that something bad may happen to the boys. After splashing around a little in the water Bubba decides to get out of the water, but finds that his pants are gone off the top of the water tower. Scott offers to go get him another pair from home, so Bubba’s mom won’t get mad. While Scott is gone Bubba has to make a few decisions that may change his life forever…
I really enjoyed this book and it had me sucked in as an adult. When the book was over I had so many questions. This book will have students thinking and also have them enjoying to read. It would be best with older readers.
In the book two young boys named Bubba and Scott decide to go swimming in the water tower on Shooters Hill. The water tower is eerie and the pictures show green water and creepy images. These pictures give you the feeling that something bad may happen to the boys. After splashing around a little in the water Bubba decides to get out of the water, but finds that his pants are gone off the top of the water tower. Scott offers to go get him another pair from home, so Bubba’s mom won’t get mad. While Scott is gone Bubba has to make a few decisions that may change his life forever…
I really enjoyed this book and it had me sucked in as an adult. When the book was over I had so many questions. This book will have students thinking and also have them enjoying to read. It would be best with older readers.
May 21, 2018
A haunting story that follows two friends who go and visit the watertower, a mysterious building that has sat upon a hill above the local town for as long as anyone can remember. Without ruining the plot, this is a narrative that becomes increasingly unsettling (and obscure) as Spike and Bubba's exploration progresses, and as the reader delves deeper into the tale.
Crew and Woolman’s partnership is complex and makes for one of the most ambiguous and strange children’s book that I have read. The interaction between the slightly sparse writing and the pictures leave the plot open ended and subject to interpretation- an excellent resource for developing inference skills and encouraging opinions to be justified. There are a lot of opportunities for making meaning behind the journey undertaken by the characters, making it essential that careful time and attention is taken to unpicking the elaborate illustrations. It took me a second read to notice many of the visual clues, and even a third unveiled more layers that had gone unnoticed. Within a class context, discussion with children would push this further, resulting in an all the more eerie story.
Crew and Woolman’s partnership is complex and makes for one of the most ambiguous and strange children’s book that I have read. The interaction between the slightly sparse writing and the pictures leave the plot open ended and subject to interpretation- an excellent resource for developing inference skills and encouraging opinions to be justified. There are a lot of opportunities for making meaning behind the journey undertaken by the characters, making it essential that careful time and attention is taken to unpicking the elaborate illustrations. It took me a second read to notice many of the visual clues, and even a third unveiled more layers that had gone unnoticed. Within a class context, discussion with children would push this further, resulting in an all the more eerie story.
July 14, 2020
Not my kind of thing, but quite awesome nonetheless. If you like the YA novel Strange Objects you'll like this picture-book for big kids (and adults), or vice-versa. I'll see what else I can find on openlibrary.
December 21, 2021
A rather traditionally disturbing setup of the sci-fi(?) horror of the suburbia. Told in a mixed medium comprised of written word and images, this story both intrigued and disappointed me for the same reason; it was extremely elliptical, so as to be rendered simplistic. On the other hand, I enjoyed the subtle nods to the genre classics, especially cinematic ones, masterfully hidden in the imagery.
March 21, 2016
Well, that was creepy as sin...
The book is cleverly designed, forcing the reader to rotate it and simulating the round shape of the watertower itself. The result is left vague purposely. We have no idea what the watertower is (though its semblance to a b-movie UFO stands out), or what it was that Bubba saw, or what is different about everyone in town besides the obvious fact they now all look like psychopathic, murderous puppets. I'm sure there are kids (older ones) who will find this a fun, scary read, but it just sort of made my skin crawl unpleasantly.
The book is cleverly designed, forcing the reader to rotate it and simulating the round shape of the watertower itself. The result is left vague purposely. We have no idea what the watertower is (though its semblance to a b-movie UFO stands out), or what it was that Bubba saw, or what is different about everyone in town besides the obvious fact they now all look like psychopathic, murderous puppets. I'm sure there are kids (older ones) who will find this a fun, scary read, but it just sort of made my skin crawl unpleasantly.
January 23, 2018
https://bunyip92.tumblr.com/
hey this book has haunted me since primary school?
and haha guess what? it's still terrifying????
i think it's because it's frightening to live in world where you don't know the rules, but everyone else does and they're just looking at you. that page in the middle where you're turning the book upside down is creepy as HECK and i kept having to turn back to it because i couldn't put my finger on WHY.
hm, i'm not saying this right but my point stands: book = scary.
hey this book has haunted me since primary school?
and haha guess what? it's still terrifying????
i think it's because it's frightening to live in world where you don't know the rules, but everyone else does and they're just looking at you. that page in the middle where you're turning the book upside down is creepy as HECK and i kept having to turn back to it because i couldn't put my finger on WHY.
hm, i'm not saying this right but my point stands: book = scary.
February 16, 2018
This is a pretty good ‘picture book’/graphic novel. I’d say it’s a little on the short side really which stops it having the impact that it could do, but it’s still very creepy, particularly when you look at the detail in the pictures to tell a different story to the words. I’ve read it as a teacher and am looking forwarding to using it with my class.
October 16, 2019
An excellent picture book for KS2 children, it’s a high quality text and allows children to think about what has happened. Thus, allowing them to make their own conclusions on what happened to Bubba! A good text to explore different writing styles.
December 21, 2021
Mysterious pictures of sinister water currents swirling inside a tank under the hot sun of a desert country town. The story, alas, is not on an equal level with the illustrations.
January 11, 2023
A creepy Australian story for kids, with equally unsettling illustrations.
April 17, 2017
Terrifying!
October 31, 2017
Readers will have a hard time not analyzing and rereading Cary Crews spooky and mysterious award winning picture book about two mischievous boys harmless dip in The Watertower. The abrupt ending elicits a feeling of missing something, reexamining the only way to understand. Are artist Steven Woolman’s illustrations depicting just an old dusty town on the Australian outback, or is there something sinister in the faces of the townspeople? There is movement to the pages of the book, literally as readers have to shift the book’s position in order to read. Is this a clue to the change Spike sees in his friend Bubba after his solitary swim, or just a creepy trick of the imagination?
A great Halloween read-aloud, good for grades 3+, with large, bright illustrations and tons to discuss... The characters are illustrated in a lifelike manner, and some are positioned as if they are looking right at us. How does that make us feel and how does that change the story? Why would the author and illustrator want to change the direction of the layout throughout the book? What do you think Bubba saw when he was by himself in the water tower and why didn’t the author let us know?
Readers may be inspired to create their own story or cartoon with a suspenseful ending. These might be fun to share around a “campfire” on a spooky fall day.
A great Halloween read-aloud, good for grades 3+, with large, bright illustrations and tons to discuss... The characters are illustrated in a lifelike manner, and some are positioned as if they are looking right at us. How does that make us feel and how does that change the story? Why would the author and illustrator want to change the direction of the layout throughout the book? What do you think Bubba saw when he was by himself in the water tower and why didn’t the author let us know?
Readers may be inspired to create their own story or cartoon with a suspenseful ending. These might be fun to share around a “campfire” on a spooky fall day.
October 31, 2012
This book drew me in by the eery cover. I was also anxious to see how anyone could make a water tower interesting. The story is set in the small town of Preston, with the Water Tower sitting atop Shooter’s Hill. The two main characters, Spike Trotter and Bubba D’Angelo got together one day and headed to the water tower to swim. The illustrations did a great job of continuing to depict the eery feel that the author wanted his readers to feel; one picture would show the outside bright and cheery while the next picture showed the dark and gloomy inside as the boys descended down the ladder into the water. Unfortunately when they went to leave, Bubba’s clothes had blown away or had been taken so, Spike ran to the house to get Bubba some clothes so he wouldn’t return home and get in trouble with his mom. Spike and Bubba could sense something weird going on around them but just couldn’t figure out what was going on, even the people in the town all stared strangely at Bubba has he ran through to the house.
I would recommend this book to fourth and fifth graders. It may work as a read aloud so that the students can predict what is going on in the story from page to page and predict what is going to happen next. I don’t believe it would work for younger readers because it could come across as frightening to them or, it would be a story that is hard to understand to them. The author did a great job keeping readers on the edge of their seat; a lot of opportunity for prediction and discussion is present in how the author makes the reader really think about what’s happening. Highly recommended!
I would recommend this book to fourth and fifth graders. It may work as a read aloud so that the students can predict what is going on in the story from page to page and predict what is going to happen next. I don’t believe it would work for younger readers because it could come across as frightening to them or, it would be a story that is hard to understand to them. The author did a great job keeping readers on the edge of their seat; a lot of opportunity for prediction and discussion is present in how the author makes the reader really think about what’s happening. Highly recommended!
November 20, 2012
I liked the creepiness of this little tale, and the way you have to hold the book sideways at times, changing angles. The watertower seems like a harmless place to escape the scorching heat, if you're careful. Spike climbs right into the tank, but something makes Bubba a little nervous, a bit hesitant. The pictures tell a great deal of the story here (hint--watch the eyes!). The ending--well, it's kind of up to the reader to decide, I think. The Children's Book Council of Australia named this the Picture Book of the Year, and rightly so. Cleverly done, creepy, shivery, and recommended.
August 5, 2025
This book was introduced to me when I was 9 by my favourite teacher at the school I went to in Australia (the best school ever, which was half outdoors and where we called our teacher by their first name). The book really is like a graphic novel - it’s pretty short but creates such a story and such a world, for the reader to be totally immersed. I genuinely believe this book is part of the reason my aesthetic tendencies are the way they are today - I love things with a touch of creepiness but altogether unassuming. I think about the Watertower all the time, and still can’t look at one the same.
February 14, 2019
An excellent picture book for older readers by Gary Crew & Steven Woolman. The text and pictures combine to create an uneasy, eerie feeling as the town of Preston slowly reveals itself to be more than what is seen on the surface. Cleverly, for much of the book the pictures and the text are telling two different parts of a connected story. Children love exploring the pictures for details and clues and the way the illustrator uses the layout is very engaging. Highly recommended for Year 5 and well up in to high school.
February 12, 2014
Why have I not read this book before? I look forward to sharing this with the grade six students and starting a discussion about what happens in the story.. It actually took me two reads and a flick through the illustrations to understand what was happening in the book. The illustrations are an important part of the story. I really enjoyed this one!
April 15, 2015
WHAT THE HELL?! Apparently this is an excellent book for children to read and study, according to SOMEONE's primary ed student boyfriend, it is a great book to talk about and discuss, and now I am sure of the fact that all adults really do is plant the seeds of fear and terror in the minds of small children. Fuck me. This is brilliant. Go read. Don't care what age you are, go and read it.
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October 7, 2012Creepy book - loved it. One of those you go back and read a few times to try to figure out what happened.
November 6, 2018
The Watertower by Gary Crew is a very eerie book about two young boys and a watertower. Spike says to his friend Bubba that they should go for a swim in the watertower because it was just so hot outside & there is nothing else to do; Bubba was hesitant but he decided to go anyways. After their swim, Bubba is wrapped in a towel, looking for his clothes but they have been blown away. Since Spikes' clothes are still there, he offers to run to his friends house to get him a pair of shorts. Bubba is left in the watertower for a good 20 minutes, alone and afraid. Spike returns and Bubba expresses something that he would not normally say, Spike is concerned and worried. The way Bubba's face changes from the beginning to the end is very creepy, almost scary. The last page where Bubba is staring into your eyes gives a very chilling feeling. The words and the pictures are equally as important, I feel that the pictures are very important to the story and wouldn't make sense without them. I would recommend this book for upper elementary/middle school even. I don't think I'll keep this book on my bookshelf because of how eerie it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2019
WOW! I loved this story! I was hooked from the very beginning. Gary Crew wrote a dark and mysterious picture book about two boys, Spike, and Bubba who make their way up to Preston's old mysterious water tower even though the two boys knew they had no business being up there. Bubba ends up losing his pants and why he is waiting for Spike to return with a backup, mysterious things being to happen. I loved this story so much because the pictures told the majority of a story. To be honest I found the picture of the townspeople staring, was very creepy. Their eyes were very scary they looked to me to be possessed. Another Image I enjoyed was the one inside the water tower, you could see oldness and the rustiness of the tower that the words described and so on and so forth. I think this book is perfect for fourth to the fifth grader, the vocabulary is on their level and I think most would enjoy the mystery aspect of it. As I said, this was such an enjoyable read and it can be used inside the classroom in a number of the way but particularly when discussing setting and scene of a story.
January 8, 2018
Currently using this book as part of a Year 5 'suspense and mystery' unit, with a boy-heavy class with many behavioural challenges. I can honestly say I have never seen these children respond to any lesson as enthusiastically as they did when I showed them this story.
It is a fantastic book, with beautiful illustrations that my class and I pored over together for a good few lessons, noticing lots of small details and something new each time we looked at the book again. The text itself does not give much detail which adds to the mystery. The water tower is extremely creepy, and it feels that the two unsuspecting characters are walking into a trap by going there. The creepy residents of the town are never explained, but are seen with the strange symbol on their hands and clothes, looking towards the water tower as if in a trance. We don't even know what happens to Bubba at the end of the story, and why he suddenly changes in the way in talks and behaves.
The authors did a great job at manipulating the reader. Our eyes were drawn to certain aspects of the pictures and we decided what the importance of these things might be. When turning the pages, we had to turn the whole book around, as if we (the readers) were being manipulated by a strange something in the story.
Overall, a great book.
It is a fantastic book, with beautiful illustrations that my class and I pored over together for a good few lessons, noticing lots of small details and something new each time we looked at the book again. The text itself does not give much detail which adds to the mystery. The water tower is extremely creepy, and it feels that the two unsuspecting characters are walking into a trap by going there. The creepy residents of the town are never explained, but are seen with the strange symbol on their hands and clothes, looking towards the water tower as if in a trance. We don't even know what happens to Bubba at the end of the story, and why he suddenly changes in the way in talks and behaves.
The authors did a great job at manipulating the reader. Our eyes were drawn to certain aspects of the pictures and we decided what the importance of these things might be. When turning the pages, we had to turn the whole book around, as if we (the readers) were being manipulated by a strange something in the story.
Overall, a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2019
The Watertower is about two boys that live in a small town that has a mysterious water tower that no one can remember when it was built or who built it. This book has beautifully done illustrations to go along with a very descriptive text. This book may be considered a picture book but has great use of descriptive complex text. This creates a great book that is great for older readers that may want a change of pace from a typical novel. I think this book could be read for pleasure as well as read aloud to students. This would also be a great example of a picture book that isn’t meant for children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
I liked how the book turned layouts. The format went from sideways to tilted to portrait back to tilted to sideways. I liked how you had to rotate the book to read the story. I also like how the book didn't necessarily have a lesson. Most children's books nowadays believe there needs to be a lesson taught and I think this one is more for enjoyment. Although no lesson is taught it does have a similar experience for some kids as not all kids are ready to dive in head first and do put on a front for their friends.
September 25, 2024
Boys being boys, having some fun and baring to get out of the heat, they sneak into the water tank, but when one of the boys shorts gets blown away, the other goes back home to fetch a new pair, while the other gets a little 'scared' alone in the tower. A little bit of a 'thriller' story, but not much to the scare than the imagination which isn't fully explained. Images by Steven Woolman which are large, colourful and dark for the mystery vs the hot day. Language okay for younger readers but not beginners.
May 25, 2018
Crew's The Watertower is subtle, yet unmistakably creepy. Nothing outright happens , nor does it need to. The suggestion is more than enough to leave the reader haunted by the end.
While the illustrations aren't to my taste they work well for the story. Done in a style often found decorating Ma and Pop groceries and county diners they incapacitating small town life easily and add to the dread of the story.
Nicely done all around.
While the illustrations aren't to my taste they work well for the story. Done in a style often found decorating Ma and Pop groceries and county diners they incapacitating small town life easily and add to the dread of the story.
Nicely done all around.
October 24, 2024
This book really confused me. I read it multiple times to try and comprehend the plot, but it took doing some research and talking with a friend who was familiar with the book for me to really understand it. Once I had spoken it through, I was able to really appreciate the strangeness of the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews