Lottie & Walter, Hardcover

An original, compelling, and visually stunning treatment of a common childhood predicament: overcoming a fear of the water.

Lottie goes to swim lessons every Saturday, but she never gets in the water. That's because she is convinced there is a shark in the pool, a shark that wants to eat her and only her. But then Walter appears. Walter likes singing and reading books and bubble baths, and his favorite food is fish sticks, just like Lottie. When Saturday rolls around again, Lottie is no more ready to jump in the pool than she was before. Or is she? Sometimes it just takes a special friend to find the courage that was inside you all along.

Anna Walker writes and illustrates picture books in Melbourne, Australia. Among her previous books for Clarion are Florette and Peggy. Like Lottie, Anna was afraid of the water as a child, but she enjoys swimming now. Though occasionally she still like a walrus to hold her hand. annawalker.com.au