Water, Water

by Cary Fagan, Jon McNaught (Illustrator)

One morning Rafe wakes up to discover his bedroom is floating in a vast sea of water. An unforgettable middle-grade novel with elements of James and the Giant Peach meets Waterworld and The Road .

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.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Dystopia, Childrens, Canada, Juvenile

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2022

About the author

Cary Fagan has written numerous books for children, including What Are You Doing, Benny?, Little Blue Chair and Mr. Zinger's Hat, which was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.

Reviews

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about a young boy who wakes up and discovers that his room has somehow separated from his house and he is now floating on what appears to be an infinite sea. Thankfully he has his dog to keep him company, because what on earth is he supposed to do?! Rafe has to find ways to keep him and his dog occupied AND keep them fed. Whimsical and intriguing, this book will appeal more to kids (the intended audience) then to adults because there are so many questions that will never get answered (how on earth did his bedroom get detached? is this the great flood?). The illustrations help keep the story going.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

a dreamlike story of a flooded world. A boy floats on a vast ocean in his room (which has separated from the rest of the house) not knowing what has happened or if his parents are still alive. Gradually the desert island of his room broadens, and though not much Happens, there are happenings that move the boy towards a hopeful (though still shattered/broken/flooded one). We never find out details of what exactly happened and how widespread the flooding is and all the other climate dystopian details, which verges on being vexing, but such details would have destroyed the dream-like quality I appreciated. Read in a single sitting.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Tundra Books and Library Thing for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read this in one sitting. It's a fairly short book and it only took me about an hour to read but I had not intended to read it all at once. I was just really enjoying it. I loved Rafe's character and liked seeing the way he tried different things and some of them worked and some of them didn't. We get to read sections of a book that Rafe was reading which was kind of fun. He had a few interactions with other people that were interesting.
I loved the blue that the cover and all the illustrations were in and I really like that there was a blue page between every chapter, it was visually very appealing.
My only complaint about the book was that it was too short. I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen and I would have also liked to know what caused the flooding as that wasn't really addressed although we get one hint, but I guess maybe he would have never found out what happened.
This book is recommended for children 10 and up but I think younger children would enjoy it as a read aloud.
There was no profanity or blasphemy.
Overall a very enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend this book.

This book was reviewed on the Literary Club Podcast episode 73
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1984185

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hopeful, sweet environmental dystopia about displacement and grief but very accessible for younger readers with a little peril and a lot of heart. A simple story brought to life with gorgeous illustrations.

[Ümit Mutlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work of genius.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet little story of a boy who inexplicably gets cast out to sea in his bedroom with his dog. The story centers around his survival and the people he meets along the way. I wish the author had gone into a little more of his backstory in order to build more depth into the character but overall it was a nice story that many young readers will find intriguing.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book begins with Rafe waking up to his world completely changed with his bedroom floating in an endless sea.

My initial thoughts while starting this book were on the unimpressed side. The beginning, a mysterious separation from family and displaced into a new world is already becoming tiresome (think maze Runner, and Beatrice and Crock Harry, coming to mind, and I am sure many more, but then flashbacks to Kevin Costner in Water World)

There is also a lot of doubt and questions on the logistics of all this going down, but once the story starts unfolding those things matter less and less when stacked against the larger messages going on here.

I am not great at dissecting texts, but this seems to be a lot of connections to the isolation of the global pandemic, the pending doom of the status of the earth, and the overwhelming goodness of people, even when there are others that try to abuse and take advantage of others.

I see this novel working it's way into my literature circle books, likely with a theme on water, and how precious and destructive it can be.

I am looking forward to seeing the students perspectives and connections on this novel. It was a very easy read and accessible to many of my grade 7 learners.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafe wakes in his room surrounded by water. He is confused at first. His dog is with him, but no one else. It appears his room is apart from the rest of his home. He is floating. Problems are overwhelming and must be solved before he can think about what this new reality means. It seems not cleaning his room as his Mom had asked him to may be helpful in this new normal. He figures out a way for his dog and him to use the bathroom and deal with waste. Hunger is overwhelming. He notices things floating in the water and captures cans floating by hoping for food. They have no labels as the water wore them off before he saw them. So, Rafe and his dog learn about this new normal together. What a way to learn just how resourceful they can be as they begin to notice the difference between wants and needs and just how determination and luck connect to hope, joy, and their shared future.

This book started slowly for me as I could not wrap my head around the circumstances this child found himself in upon waking up one day. I am so glad I kept reading. There is much to notice here in this story. There is going to be a slew of feelings along the way, but they will be worth this journey!

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Performance: 5/5
Story: 3.5/5

I loved Colin Doyle's narration. His voice reminded me so much of Dave Grohl, it was a fun experience. I also loved the additional audio touches with the music and water sound effects throughout the story.

I was hoping for a little bit stronger ending, but overall think that this could lend to some open discussions of what-ifs with middle grade readers. This may be one that I earmark to revisit once my son is at an age to grasp these concepts.

In the physical book, the monochromatic illustrations from Jon McNaught are fantastic. I love his graphic style.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Sweet and hopeful post-apocalyptic middle grade novel. An environmental warning tale much like the film Water World without the grit; young readers will find the grit and inspiration instead in the dauntless and resourceful Rafe and Dao, who are insistent to ‘keep on swimming’ as Dory would say. Beautifully typeset and designed, with illustrations that mimic woodcuts and provide essential information to help readers picture the watery plight. Provides lessons in collaboration, the power of friendship and even grief management.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rafe wakes up one morning to a strange sensation of floating. When he looks out his bedroom window all he can see is water. He soon discovers his room is drifting in a sea of blue and The rest of his house is gone along with his parents. Luckily his dog is still with him and together they face the challenges of this strange new world. He fishes cans of food and boxes from the waves and one day he rescues a little girl. Although they don’t speak the same language, together they fight boredom, pirates and fear of the unknown. A short but compelling read complete with simple illustrations.

[Kay S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book definitely had some highs and lows for me. Parts of it I was really interested to read, and other parts I abandoned for other things and just didn't feel like picking it up again. It's another one where I'm on neutral ground. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I just wasn't wowed by it. Maybe I got lost in the outside world of it and wanting to know what caused the flood and such that no one was prepared...

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! Audiobook was wonderful! I love that they added extra sounds like rain pouring, thunder, and even classical music.

This is basically Waterworld in a kids book. But it's sooooo goood. Poor Raith wakes up alone in the middle of the ocean. He has no idea how he got there. As days go by, he tries his beat to entertain himself and find other people. One day he does finally meet someone and their adventure together begins.

[Shaunna MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an intriguing and different middle grade book. I appreciated the unexplained “my room is floating in a sea of water” from page one and found read more like a fable in its snippets of Rafe’s (and Dao’s) life adrift than a fast-paced survival adventure (which was what I was expecting from the premise). I think this one will stay with me for a while.

[Kelly Jahng · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd book, but I loved it. I’m still thinking about what its messages could be. Will kids be able to grasp the allegory? Is it truly allegory? It’s so very interesting, and will leave me thinking for a long time.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle grade book after, ocean flooded Earth. Wish the book was longer however. Abrupt ending.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a precious little story...
I loved it
and I'm sure
young readers will, too...
Just brilliant...

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intriguing premise, but Rafe and his responses to the situation did not ring psychologically true to me.

[Joanna]

Great audiobook with kids

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on global warming and the necessity for people around the world to work together, I think. A young boy, Rafe, and his dog, Buddy, find themselves adrift in a vast blue sea, in one room of his home, (seemingly impossible). Where is the rest of the house - his family and his neighbors? As the story progresses we see how what Rafe has read or learned is helping him to survive. His room is a treasure trove of usable items, that when looked at in a different way, are useful. The book's, blue, black, and white block print illustrations are dramatic - keeping the focus on the story. Powerful emotions are evident in the illustrations. Rafe rescues a young Thai girl, name Dao, and her cat - so, the second strong thrust of the story is that we are all people, our family can be anyone that we care about, love, or protect. Even though they speak two completely different languages, they begin to communicate and understand each other's needs and fears.