The River [Hardcover]

Nik Pollard (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

The journey of a river from mountain stream to ocean estuary is portrayed in this striking picture book. As he did in his first book, the "vibrantly colored...visually appealing" (School Library Journal) The Tide, Nik Pollard combines exuberant graphics with an accessible read-aloud text to present the natural world in a fresh light.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-The journey of a river from its start as a mountain stream to its final destination, the sea, is presented with bright, abstract, graphic illustrations and a hectic text, sometimes alliterative and sometimes rhyming, that twists and turns like the water. Through the countryside, town, and city, the river provides water for domestic animals and wildlife and a home for fish and fowl. It also provides beauty, sounds, and recreation. Where the river meets the sea, huge ships are loaded to start a journey of their own. Following the river, readers see a hiker, cows, a man in a truck, ravens, swans and people feeding them, swallows, swifts, a family catching minnows, the town, a bridge, a fisherman on the river and a huge pike in the water, kayaks (that are identified as canoes), and a crowd watching a boat race. All of the sights and sounds are described with an energetic text loaded with action verbs and description. The bold illustrations, text placement, and fast-paced language all combine to set the mood of the story. This is a sophisticated piece with a lot happening on every page and some of it is difficult to grasp. Children will need an adult to take them successfully through the story. However, the book has an interesting concept and is nicely done, so it's worth the effort.
Marlene Gawron, formerly at Orange County Library, Orlando, FL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Colorful collage illustrations follow a rain-filled stream as it winds its way through a town and eventually becomes a river that pours into the ocean. Waves and dips of the heavy block-style type suggest the movement and burbling of the water as the rhymed text describes how humans and animals interact with the flowing stream. The busy, active scenes show children catching minnows, white swans gliding, canoes racing, and a pike lurking beneath the river's surface. Overlapping patterns and design components sometimes muddle the page compositions, but this companion to The Tide (2002) will still be a useful classroom aid. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (April 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761317783
• ISBN-13: 978-0761317784
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,962,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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