Book Report: The Vanishing Lake

53. Paddy Donnelly, The Vanishing Lake (2021) (10/23/21)

Because I'm falling a little behind in my reading project (13 books to go in just over 2 months), I treated myself to a few award-winning picture books to fill in the gaps. The Vanishing Lake (gold medal in the Independent Book Publisher, or IPPY, Awards) is about just that: a lake in the mountains of Northern Ireland that occasionally, mysteriously, empties out, and then, with the next rains, fills up again. 

Young Meara's grandfather lives on the lake with his pet otter, Cara. Whenever the water disappears, Meara asks him why—and he has a host of whimsical explanations. Thirsty sheep. Narwhals that punch holes in the lake bottom. A giant who, when it gets very cold and the water freezes through, uses the lake as a giant ice cube. She, however, is skeptical. Finally, her granddad says, "Follow me," and he leads her  high into the surrounding mountains where they have a good view over the lake. And there, finally, she is able to see what happens—something so amazing that she can barely believe her eyes. (I will not spoil the surprise. It's a good one.)

In an author's note, Donnelly explains that the mysterious lake in the book actually does exist. It is called Loughareema. "Scientists believe that the lake disappears and reappears because of its leaky chalk bed, loose soil, and plentiful holes at the bottom of the lake." When the lake fills up again, the water pressure unclogs the holes, and it drains out, only to be refilled with rainfall. Over and over. "With a wonder like this on our doorstep growing up, it was easy to take it for granted, however these magical spots in nature are all around us if you look closely. The combination of scientific discovery and a little imagination can help you discover extraordinary stories everywhere."

Here are a few spreads from the book. Donnelly creates his illustrations digitally, and this is the first book this prolific picture-book illustrator has authored.