Walking for Water: How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality

Despite being twins, eight-year-olds Victor and Linesi experience life differently in their small village in Malawi. While Victor attends school, his sister must drop out to collect water every day for their family’s needs: “Five walks to the river and five walks home.” When an engaging new teacher, Mr. Tambala, describes gender equality and asks the class to consider their own lives, Victor decides to alternate water-collecting responsibilities and lessons with Linesi. Hughes uses straightforward prose to explain the gendered cultural norms, while debut creator Miles digitally sketches dynamic Black characters with a range of skin tones, employing a desertlike color palette for landscapes. Inset scenes and speech bubbles bolster the narrative flow of this activism-encouraging picture book, inspired by a photo essay by journalist Tyler Riewer. Back matter includes an author’s note, resources, and a Chichewa-English glossary with pronunciations. Ages 7–10. (June)