What Happens when a Lake Disappears?

The Vanishing Sea: The Tale of How the Aral Sea Became the Aral Desert 

by Dinara Mirtalipova 

40 pages; ages 5-8

Chronicle Books, 2026   

theme: ecology, water, nonfiction

 A long, long time ago, there was a lake so vast that the people called her MOTHER SEA.

This lake, called the Aral Sea, sits between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It was formed by glaciers melting after the last ice age and for centuries it provided the people with fish to eat and water to drink. 

The people flourished. Villages grew into towns, which became cities. The people grew crops. “Like a selfless mother, the sea gave them ALL of her resources,” writes Dinara Mirtalipova. Until there came a time when she had no more to give.

What I like about this book: The spare text, paired with the folk-art illustrations clearly shows how the people’s desire for more riches killed the very thing that gave them life: Mother Sea. Two wordless pages show irrigation of cotton crops, and exporting it away from the community. 

I like that it’s a true story that also serves as a parable. And I like the back matter, which begins with an author’s note about her personal connection to the area, and the intensive cotton cultivation that drained the lake, Another spread provides a timeline of the history if the Aral Sea, from 17,000 years ago to present. Another section dives into the local and global ecological impact of the desertification of the Aral Sea.

Beyond the Books:

Check out what the Aral desert (previously lake) looks like from space at NASA website.

Turn your bedroom into the Aral Sea. Before the irrigation project in 1960, the Aral Sea was home to more than 20 different kinds of fish. Make as many different kinds of fish as you can, and hang them by threads from your ceiling so they look like they are swimming. Here are some ideas for different kinds of fish you can make.

After 10 days, take down half of the fish. How does your lake feel?

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.