Go Home, River

by James Magdanz, Dianne Widom (Illustrations)

When I was young, I lived beside a wild river. The river was always going somewhere, and I never tired of watching it. My mother told me the river began in the mountains to the north and ended in the ocean to the west. But this I had never seen. Rivers, oceans, and clouds will never seem quite the same again after ""Go Home, River."" In this turn-of-the-century story, a young Eskimo boy follows his family into the mountains to the river's beginning, sails down the gathering river to its end, and marvels as the river takes itself apart in its delta.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Bonnie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magdanz, J. (Author) & Widom, D. (Illustrator). (1996). Go home, river. Seattle, Washington: Alaska Northwest Books. Unp. Ages 4 and up.

In this peaceful book, a young Eskimo boy and his family travel to the start of a river and travel down to the coast for a summer trading festival. The journey is one of discovery for this young boy who has never been allowed to go with his father before. Historically accurate and engaging, this book is accompanied by beautiful and deep octopus ink illustrations.

Related Activity: Map out a local water source from beginning to end. Teach watershed cycle. Relate to Eskimo history (4th grade).