The Water Princess

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

With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie’s kingdom is a beautiful land. But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village. And try as she might, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer. Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well. Instead of a crown, she wears a heavy pot on her head to collect the water. After the voyage home, after boiling the water to drink and clean with, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring. And she dreams. She dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own.

Inspired by the childhood of Burkina Faso–born model Georgie Badiel, this moving story is rendered by acclaimed author Susan Verde and award-winning author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. As a child, Georgie had to walk for miles each day to collect water with the other girls in her village. This vibrant, engaging picture book sheds light on this ongoing worldwide struggle, instilling hope for a future in which all children will have access to clean drinking water.