Little Moses survived, not one, but two natural disasters in his Caribbean country of Haiti. First, a powerful flood washed away his family. Miraculously he was found floating in a basket, hence his biblical name. From there, he was cared for by a local orphanage run by nuns. Then came the disastrous Earthquake of 2010 that devastated the country. Once again, Moses was faced with hard times, as children were displaced and facing deadly illnesses such as Cholera. This is his story. Coupled with the beautiful illustrations, the author did a wonderful job of explaining one boys story in a meaningful and compelling way for young readers. ( )

A beautiful book about a very real boy who survived hurricanes and earthquakes in Haiti during his young life. It shows the good that the people who ran the St Damien's Hospital and the St Helene Children's Village did for him and far too many children who have been orphaned by natural disasters. It is illustrated by pictures and photos in the form of collages and clearly shows Moses' happiness with his life and the needs of the children in Haiti. ( )

I Came from the Water is based on the true story of an orphaned boy named Moses whom the author met in Haiti. The story is told just like a child would explain something that happened in their lives, "this happened, then this happened, then this happened". The illustrations are so spot on with the narrative and the colours are so vibrant that it feels as if you are actually there talking to Moses. We have all heard about the floods, earthquakes and devastation of Haiti, but this story brings it to life.

Moses was a baby when he started living in the children’s village (aka orphanage) of St Helene’s which is outside Port-au-Prince. He was found in a basket floating in the flood waters just after the horrendous floods on September 18th, 2004. He was too young to know his name and so someone named him Moses. This book tells you of his life, growing up in the children’s village, the floods and storms they endured and what happened after the earthquake in 2010. Moses doesn't let these catastrophic events stand in his way. He's definitely a fighter and he's resilient. He's compassionate and likes to help everyone he meets.

St. Helene’s orphanage is run by Father Rick Frechette known globally for his dedication to improving the lives of poor children across Latin America. Net profits from I Came From the Water will go to support St. Helene’s and Father Rick’s efforts to help rebuild Haiti by offering a safe place to live and a free education for children like Moses.

A wonderful story to bring to life the catastrophes around the world, discussions about how we can help and to learn how resilient a human being can be.

Thanks to Netgalley and Vanita Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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The true story of Moses, a Haitian boy who lost his family in a flood. Moses lives in St. Helene's orphanage outside Port-au-Prince. This is Moses' story, told like a myth, with colorful illustrations and an informative section after the story.

Because this book takes place in Haiti I was carefully looking at the skin color of people in the illustrations. (I wanted to make sure it wasn't a case of the white savior.) Where there are white faces they are based on actual people, such as Father Rick who runs St. Helene's. Otherwise there is a mixture of faces and scenes of Haiti are populated predominantly with people of color of all walks of life.

This felt very much like it was Moses' story, one he was telling, and not one told about him.

(Provided by publisher) ( )