Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water by Katherine Paterson and Vladimir Vagin, ill. New York: Clarion Books, 1998.

0-395-91324-1

  Annotation: While journeying to find a remedy for her mother’s illness, Celia and her grumpy dog Brumble  encounter strange and threatening characters who have never known kindness. 

 Media: pen and colored ink, colored pencil sketchings

 Rating: 5th-8th 5Q/5P TOP TEN

 Literary Device: Symbolism, Repetition, Extended Metaphor

       Symbolism –

  Theme: You cannot truly share another's happiness unless you share her tears. Mara, Celia's mother, is sometimes sad and wells up with tears, but Celia does not know why. On day, Mara, fell ill, telling Celia that the sweet, sweet water of her childhood would save her. Celia journeys to her mother's hometown to get it. Along the way, Celia meets people in need, so she gives what she can - her lunch, her coat, her  flute. Through her generosity, she learns hardship, but she gains friends who help her get back home with the water. What she discovers is that it is her own empathetic tears that save her mother and bring them the happiness of closeness.  

   lvanburen/6-09Alpha-Illustrator Master List JKL

    The water in Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water is her tears, which are a symbol of happiness.