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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.-- "I just love it so much," said third-grader Jordin Ruiz, reading from the book called Water Hugs.
Fellow Port St. Lucie third-grader Bella Delgado also enjoyed it because of the pictures and because of the message. "To keep the water clean, don’t leave it running.”
The idea for the book was the brainchild of Jenny Tomes. She’s the marketing coordinator for Port St. Lucie’s Utility Systems and author of Water Hugs.
It's about a little girl who loves the water and wants to show her affection. After coming up with the idea, she collaborated on the book with the youngsters. "Kids can relate, even though it’s not always the most glamorous of topics," she said.
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Tomes, who makes presentations during the school year, teamed up with summer campers after she wrote the story. She needed some artistic help. "I can’t draw. I’m going to need some help with the illustrations," she said about finishing the book.
Tens of thousands of customers rely on the city of Port St. Lucie for their water needs. So it’s important for the younger generation to understand where their water comes from and how important it is to conserve.
"They’re very aware of protecting our water resources," said Tomes.
She hopes to translate the book into Spanish and perhaps work on a sequel dealing with wastewater.
