I Came from the Water: One Haitian Boy's Incredible Tale of Survival

Oelschlager (who has collaborated with Blanc on several books, most recently A Tale of Two Mommies) shares the real-life story of an eight-year-old Haitian boy who, as an infant, was packed into a basket during a catastrophic flood, rescued, and sent to a children's village, where he was named Moses. "That's because I was just like the baby in the Bible," he tells the author. Moses describes the priest who runs the village%E2%80%94"We call him Father Rick"%E2%80%94and the new children who arrived after the great earthquake of 2012: "I am one of the strong ones," he says. "I must help those who are not as strong." Blanc's illustrations present an upbeat, hopeful picture of Moses's life; he appears with his friends in a neat uniform, bright-eyed and smiling. Only a couple pictures hint at a grimmer reality, such as one of a limp child with cholera in a hospital bed: "The people who came with Father Rick helped some get better. But some went to Heaven." While Moses's story is a useful introduction to Haiti, religious references may limit its audience. Ages 4%E2%80%9310. (Sept.)