RIPPLES

Many hands make better work.

On a warm, sunny day, a child (who narrates) and a woman called Aunty Koko—both of whom present East Asian—steer a bright orange raft down a meandering river. Immersive details—Aunty’s paddle flipping cool water droplets onto the youngster’s neck, damp earth that “smells like mud pies from Mother Earth’s bakery”—invite readers into this natural world. The raft passes tall pines lining the shores, high rocky cliffs, and verdant fields as the child and aunt wave to people on the shore—a diverse array of children and adults who are picnicking, playing in the mud amid butterflies, soothing a hurt knee, celebrating a birthday, and more. But where are the protagonist and Aunty Koko going? Their raft soon enters a wide pond, filled with garbage. The true purpose of this magical day is revealed: to clean up the water by collecting trash—a daunting task for the rafting pair until they are joined by their new friends, and, as the child narrator says, “we make ripples.” Poetic, spare text is filled with onomatopoetic delights: the “fwap, fwap, fwap” of bird wings; the "drip, drip, drip” and “PLOP” of paddle strokes. Yamasaki’s signature vibrant palette features warm, near-saturated hues of green, blue, and brown that evoke the brightness and joy of the day.

A sunny celebration of nature, friendship, and sustainability.