The Big Rivers: The Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio [Hardcover]

Bruce Hiscock (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

Recounts the history of flooding along the mighty Midwest rivers and focuses on the 1993 flood along the upper Mississippi, explaining the causes of the disaster, the role of the river basin, and why the dams and levees failed."

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?In simple, clear language and with splendid watercolor drawings, Hiscock tells the story of the "great flood" of 1993. Using examples from everyday life that are sure to inform his audience, the author/illustrator paints a picture of how circumstance, bad luck, and nature conspired to lead to the disaster. He does not shy away from the negative impact humans have had on the environment, or the impact the flooding had on the lives of the area residents. Detailed, captioned drawings explain such concepts as the water cycle, levees, and sandbagging, while maps give a good sense of the geography. When the text talks of "brown, muddy water," the powerful two-page spread makes a visual impression that is sure to last. There have been a number of recent books about this flood such as Karin Badt's The Mississippi Flood of 1993 (Children's Press, 1994) and Patricia Lauber's Flood (National Geographic, 1996) but for its beauty, simplicity, and obvious compassion for the victims, this one is a winner.?Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. The title suggests a book that explores the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio Rivers, but the real subject here is flooding. Beginning and ending with discussions of the water cycle, Hiscock explains that the three rivers gather water from throughout the middle of the U.S. and form the world's third largest tidal basin. The book focuses on the 1993 floods in the Midwest, showing how unusual weather patterns affected rainfall, what happened when the rivers overflowed their banks, and how people prepared for the flooding and handled it after it came. Hiscock's well-conceived and appealing watercolor paintings, some in double-page spreads, demonstrate clearly what is happening. His time line of rainfall and flood levels in 1993 is particularly effective. An excellent resource for an increasingly timely topic Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689808712
• ISBN-13: 978-0689808715
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,337,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The water cycle in action, August 6, 2001

By 

theresa springer (Colordo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Rivers: The Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio (Hardcover)

The Big Rivers is an excellent book. It takes the older elementary student through the water cycle using the big flood of '93 as a living example. I recommend this book for every library. Teachers this book is a great non-fiction book for use as supplemental reading for any environmental education curriculum.