Kid Review – The Water Hole – picture book
Haskell, Corrin. The Water Hole. Illustrated by Andre Jones. Alamo, CA: ALIVE Book Publishing, 2020.
Guide to categories: Kid Review – review of books for elementary-aged and younger children
Links in this post may be affiliate links. Purchases made using these links will not cost you more but may pay me an affiliate fee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites. Thank you for using my links.
Summary
The Water Hole follows the journey of a curious young elephant named Boomie who leaves the herd in search of adventure. He soon finds out he is not ready to be on his own. He reaches the Water Hole where he meets other animals. After some bickering they learn to work together to overcome the adversities all animals face in the world.
This first children’s book from Corrin Haskell, who has been teaching at public schools in Oakland for twenty-five years, features the vibrant, colorful art of Andre Jones (aka Natty Rebel), as he brings the African savannah to life.
Purchase The Water Hole on Amazon
My Kid Review
The Water Hole has a conservation message of sorts (it is very subtle) – man is overtaking the area where animals have always lived. But it also has a message of working together rather than being critical of or laughing at differences. I’m not sure which message author Corrin Haskell is trying to portray, maybe both.
Boomie is a young elephant learning to live according to the rules of his family. One day he wanders off – wanting to be independent. This adventure leads to the Lion King declaring that all the animal tribes need to work together against their common enemy, man.
Andre Jones used a cartoon-like style to illustrate the story. They are fairly realistic and complement the text well.
The Water Hole is worth consideration for the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. It could be used as part of a unit on elephants or animals of Africa.
I received a complimentary copy of The Water Hole. This is my honest review.
About Corrin Haskell
Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Corrin Haskell moved to Oakland, California in the mid-nineties to pursue a teaching career after graduating from the University of Washington. Currently, he has been teaching 5th grade at Brookfield Elementary in Oakland, CA for the past 25 years. He also coaches a variety of sports teams and is involved with many community programs surrounding the school. Recently he was recognized as an “All-Star Educator” by the NBA Cares programs and has done a lot of work with the Learn Fresh non-profit education company. In addition, he founded and ran the reggae/dancehall record label, Lustre Kings Productions, for two decades, before moving into the world of children’s literature. Passing Gas in Class is his second novel, as he published his debut book in 2020, entitled The Water Hole. This is one of many children’s books he has written and hopes to release in the coming years.
His third book, Math Hoops, will be released in partnership with the Learn Fresh nonprofit. Through community, play, and rigorous exploration, they leverage students’ passion for sports and entertainment to inspire their STEM and social-emotional learning.