Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water
By Vladimir Vagin (Illustrator); Katherine Paterson
(Clarion Books, Library Binding, 9780395913246, 32pp.)
Publication Date: September 1998
Categories: Family - Parents
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Long ago, a young girl named Celia lived with her mother and a grumpy dog, Brumble, in a tiny house deep in the countryside. When Celia's beloved mother fell ill, Celia tried to make her feel better, but nothing seemed to help. "If only I could drink once more the sweet, sweet water of my childhood, my life would be saved," her mother cried. As Celia loves her mother very much, she sets out immediately with the complaining Brumble to find the precious water. Along the way, they meet several unhappy creatures: a wild child of the woods; a sobbing, wretched woman of the water; and a mad man of the mountain. Through kindness and enormous generosity, Celia manages not only to complete her quest, but to dissolve the sorrow of the three souls she has encountered on her journey.
Katherine Paterson's international fame rests not only on her widely acclaimed novels but also on her efforts to promote literacy in the United States and abroad. A two-time winner of the Newbery Medal (Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved) and the National Book Award (The Great Gilly Hopkins and The Master Puppeteer), she has received many accolades for her body of work, including the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, given by her home state of Vermont. She was also named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.Ms. Paterson is vice president of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance (www.thencbla.org), which is a not-for-profit education and advocacy organization. The NCBLA's innovative projects actively promote literacy, literature, libraries, and the arts. She is both an Alida Cutts Lifetime Member of the United States Board on Books for Young People (www.usbby.org) and a lifetime member of the International Board on Books for Young People (www.ibby.org).Her most recent book is The Day of the Pelican, a moving, dramatic story of a refugee family's flight from war-torn Kosovo to America. It is the 2010 selection for Vermont Reads, a statewide reading program.She and her husband, John, live in Barre, Vermont. They have four children and seven grandchildren. For more information, visit www.terabithia.com.
"With precise lyricism and a folktale cadence, an award-winning author spins a tale elegantly matched to the hyperreal, densely patterned Vagin illustrations." Booklist, ALA
"Paterson presents an original story with the age-old feel of a classic. . . . Paterson's storytelling makes this a cut above many happily-ever-after tales, and Vagin's use of line in his fine paintings matches the story's style and tone." Kirkus Reviews
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