Written by Susan Verde and Georgie Badiel. Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Based on supermodel Georgie Badiel’s childhood, a young girl dreams of bringing clean drinking water to her African village

Acclaimed author Susan Verde and award-winning author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds have come together to tell this moving story. As a child in Burkina Faso, Georgie and the other girls in her village had to walk for miles each day to collect water. This vibrant, engaging picture book sheds light on this struggle that continues all over the world today, instilling hope for a future when all children will have access to clean drinking water.

Praise for “The Water Princess”

“The team of Verde and Reynolds have channeled their distinctively beautiful styles to depict life in an African village, the inhabitants’ long journey to water, and the story of one powerful girl. The lush colors and gorgeous landscapes belie the hardship at the center of this true story, based on the life of supermodel Georgie Badiel: The extreme lengths people often have to go to just to get drinking water. This is an excellent book to introduce a difficult subject to a young audience in an empathetic way.” —Sarah Holt, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO(From the Autumn 2016 Kids Indie Next List)

“It’s a rare picture book that not only educates children about a serious issue but also shows them how they can make a difference. The collaboration that will lead to The Water Princess, forthcoming from Putnam in September 2016, unites a cast of children’s book veterans and some unlikely partners in a project that began with the real-life story of one African girl’s quest for clean drinking water, and will end with the digging of a well to serve that girl’s friends and neighbors.” -- Publisher's Weekly

“An international story which tackles a serious global issue with Reynolds’ characteristic visual whimsy.” -- Starred Kirkus Review

40 pages Hardcover Published September 2016 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books