The Watertower (ISBN 1566562333) is a 1994 children's picture book by the author Gary Crew and illustrated by Steven Woolman. It takes place in Preston Beach, Western Australia.

The book tells the story of Spike and Bubba, two teenagers who explore the town's mysterious watertower: an egg-shaped tank with iron-rusted legs, standing on Shooter's Hill and casting an immense shadow over the valley and Preston Beach. Its origins and purpose are not made clear in the book. The narrative weaves an intriguing mystery which is left unresolved and ambiguous at the end of the story.

The book follows the codes and conventions of a subgenre of science fiction, known as gothic science fiction. It involves a 'pleasing sort of terror' related to gothic tradition but it also has references to technology corrupting life. This is represented through the illustrations of satellites on several pages.

What is the WaterTower : The water tower is in the book depicted as a subtle overseeing obstacle over looking the town of Preston. Many theories have come about however of what it is and what it actually does in the story. If you look closely in the last few pages, you will see large srub that look like a type of talon or claw. Note the large tree in which Bubba sits under before he is found by Spike. In the Last 5 pages, he progressively moves towards the centre and underneath the watertower. You can tell this by his reflection in his eye as the shape of the watertower is present. Spike then sees him climb out of the tank and he is surrounded by a eerie green light underneath him. If we were to check back to the front cover it is shown that the water tower has a green beam like structure which could be a result of a particle beam from a space ship. It is suggested that he has been abducted by an alien space craft in the shape of the watertower and then tagged on the last page because of the symbolic eye symbol on his hand and in his eyes like everyone else in the town.

Theory 2 is that the water tower is emitting radio waves which is interrupting the brain waves of the citizens of Preston. But that seems less likely.

The last one, is the algae in the tank which is festering may be a parasite and attacks Bubba, but that does not explain how he got from under the tank into it. Nor the same semi circle in everyone's eyes and on the town water supply.If you wanted to get involved deeply, notice the huge satellites in the town. For many reasons they could be there but the more realistic one would be that the acted as giant transmitters which guided the now watertank into Preston.But the real answer maybe a lot different again. There is nothing stopping the idea that the towns people are like the townsfolk of "Resident Evil 2". The way they always are looking at the tower in wait.