A Sneak Peek: Droughts

Droughts will hit bookstores across America on August 1, and it’s not a moment too soon.

 

When I started writing Droughts in March 2015, I thought: "This book will be great for kids in California. Drought is a big problem in the Western U.S."

 

But by the time I reviewed the sketches by Andre Ceolin in May 2016, there were hints that climate change was about to make drought a problem in other sections of the country too.

 

In July, officials in my small Massachusetts town announced a ban on all outdoor watering. As the weeks passed, soil dried out. Plants turned brown. Large tree branches started to sag. 

 

As I reviewed the final art in October 2016, drought was affecting towns and cities in New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, and more. By then, I knew the book would be a much needed resource for early elementary readers across our country and around the world.