In a young girl’s Cuban village, the water required to bathe, do laundry, cook, hydrate, and flush the toilet does not come from taps. In this village, water is delivered by the water man, who arrives in a truck or with a horse and wagon and a big tank. From there, the water is dispersed and stored in personal tanks for use by individual families. Water days are festive and hectic. On this day, the girl’s mami patches their hose while her papi repairs their pump. Her bisabuelita tells her that when she was a child, there was rain enough to fill their wells and big clay jars. But now, “everything” has changed. “Weather. Rivers. Groundwater. Lakes.” Still, they are fortunate; the water man is here, and after him comes the fish lady to deliver the “silvery little peces” that eat mosquito larvae from the stored water, preventing the spread of malaria. Once the family’s personal needs have been met, the girl helps Bisabuelita water “the toes of thirsty trees.” The brilliant blue of the water tank stands out in a mostly earth-toned palette in the painted cut-paper illustrations. Spanish words are integrated into a text that acknowledges the global water crisis while maintaining an upbeat—but never naïve—tone. (Ages 4-8)

Un alegre libro de la aclamada autora Margarita Engle en el que cuenta cómo una niña y su comunidad celebran la llegada del aguador, que los visita semanalmente para distribuir agua al pueblo.

Los días del agua son días atareados,
días agradecidos, días risueños,
días sedientos.

Un pequeño pueblo ya no tiene suficiente suministro de agua, pero una niña y sus vecinos reciben la ayuda del aguador. Cuando él viene al pueblo, el agua fluye como la esperanza para toda la familia, y todos celebran su llegada.