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This artful and thought-provoking picture book shares the little-known story of the disappearance of the Aral Sea--and the loss of livelihood and biodiversity as fishing villages and ships were left stranded in the desert without water. The Aral Sea once stretched across modern-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. A large saltwater lake of Central Asia (called “sea” because of its vastness), the Aral Sea’s 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) sustained its surrounding communities for generations. Beginning in the 1960s, aggressive Soviet industrialization diverted water for agricultural production and caused the lake to shrink. Today, the waters that had thrived for centuries have almost entirely disappeared--and along with them, the biodiversity of the lake, its thriving fishing industry, and the many homes along its shores. Told in a folkloric style with stunning illustrations, this true tale chronicles what happens when nature’s generosity is exploited. It gently invites readers to consider the reality of irreversible environmental harm, its global impact, and what it means to be compassionate to the land we live on.
About the author
Dinara Mirtalipova is an award-winning folk illustrator and designer who was born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her whimsical and instantly recognizable handcrafted work is inspired by Uzbek and Russian folklore and culture, which has been passed from generation to generation by her ancestors. She is the illustrator of
Woven of the World—which received a BolognaRagazzi Special Mention for Nonfiction, a BIBF Ananas Grand Prix, and a Society of Illustrators Book Silver Medal—among many other books. She works and lives in northeast Ohio. Learn more about Dinara at mirdinara.com or on Instagram @mirdinara.
