Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time

Bibliography: Park, L. S. (2019a). Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time. Ill. by Brian Pinckney. Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN: 978-1-32878-133-8

Plot Summary: In South Sudan, Nya takes her little sister, Akeer to fill the water jug at the watering hole. As they get ready to head home, Akeer falls ill. Nya is forced to carry her sister and the water jug on the long walk home. At first, it seems impossible, but Nya pushes forward though she is tired and her sister and water jug are heavy.  Once she arrives, she must continue by helping her mother and sister to the clinic, another long walk. They find Akeer had a waterborne illness, common in their area as clean water is hard to find. Once Akeer is better, they return home to find a clean water well has been created. As they no longer have to travel for water, the girls can now go to school.

Critical Analysis: The story depicts a problem common in areas like the Sudan.  In many third world countries, fresh water is absent, leading to many suffering from waterborne illnesses.  Because of the time involved in fetching water and gathering food, many children in these areas are unable to attend school.  The characters of Akeer and Nya are portrayed respectfully, showing perseverance despite obstacles. The drawings are simple and depict the girls accurately.  The backgrounds are fairly neutral in color and rudimentary, depicting the desert environment.The more vibtant colors are used on the girls, so the focus is appropriately placed on Nya and her perseverance, which is an important message.  The story can also build empathy in readers as they can appreciate that other people have struggles, just like they do. A beautifully told story.  

Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews: "Compelling characters in a story that's too short for them."

Publisher's Weekly: "With compassion, the creators present younger readers with a portrait of a life in which determination is needed just to get enough clean water to drink, a reality for many villagers in South Sudan."

Awards: 

Though this picture book has no current awards that I could find, both the autor and illustrator have several awards for other works.

Connections:

Use in a middle or high school World Geography or World History class as in introduction to a unit on Africa. 

Use in a middle school or high school World Geography or World History class as the conclusion to a unit on Africa and have discussion in literature circles.



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