All Along the River [Hardcover]

Blair Drawson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Grandpa Joe, having tea with his granddaughter by the river, spins a yarn about his boyhood adventures. Paddling down the river in search of a great river giant, he came across huge fish, fierce pirates, beautiful mermaids, wild animals, and friendly Chipewyan Indians. In this fanciful intergenerational tale, Grandpa Joe shares with his granddaughter stories that grow so fantastic that it's possible that even the river giant will be enticed out of hiding to come have tea with them by the river. This beautifully colored picture book perfectly captures the enchanting fantasies possible on a lazy summer day.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Clever, stylized watercolor illustrations can't quite save this muddled story. As the book opens, a grandfather is relating a childhood experience to his granddaughter. Grandpa Joe describes how he set out alone in search of an elusive giant, bravely paddling his canoe down the river through a dense forest full of wild creatures. He encountered an oddly mismatched set of characters, from friendly Indians to fierce pirates to beautiful mermaids, and narrowly escaped several attempts on his life. Finally, the almost-forgotten river giant finally made an appearance. In the end, the whole motley crew ended up back on the lawn having a tea party. The illustrations are great fun to look at-Drawson has a special flair for drawing creepy faces-but the characters (particularly the Indians) are stereotypically rendered. The plot, which veers from reality to fantasy and back again, is difficult to follow, and never creates enough tension to make readers care about what happens next. Jules Feiffer's hilarious Meanwhile- (HarperCollins, 1997) is a better choice.
Sue Morgan, Tom Kitayama Elementary School, Union City, CA
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888995466
• ISBN-13: 978-0888995469
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,785,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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