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Summary
Summary
A cheerful and action-packed adventure about the importance of friendship and community from a successful author and illustrator duo!
Once there was a river flowing through a forest. The river didn't know it was capable of adventures until a big bear came along. But adventures aren't any fun by yourself, and so enters Froggy, Turtles, Beaver, Racoons, and Duck.
These very different animals take off downstream, but they didn't know they needed one another until thankfully, the river came along.
This hilarious picture book and heartfelt message celebrates the joy and fun that's in store when you embark together on a ride of a lifetime.
A Caldecott Honor Book!
Reviews (2)
Horn Book Review
This boisterous adventure is a story about discovery, the twists and turns a day can take, and the ways in which friendships can be forged when least expectedall in the form of a wild log-ride down a river. Morris kicks things off: Once there was a river, giving the story a timeless feel right from the start. The river didnt know it was a river untilBear shows up. Bear doesnt know hes on an adventure untila frog leaps onto his head. Froggy isnt aware how many friends she has untilsome turtles show up. And so it goes untilBear, Froggy, the Turtles, Beaver, the Raccoons, and Duck all plummet over a waterfall in an exhilarating vertically oriented spread. Morriss pacing is spot-on, many page-turns propelled by the enticing use of until Phams illustrations, rendered via watercolors, ink, and gouache, have a somewhat retro feel (think 1980s cartoons) yet remain fresh. A cool teal dominates the palette, and the characters have particularly expressive eyes. Occasionally, the action is divided into panels, enhancing the storys already dramatic pacing. Playful perspectives abound, especially a gasp-inducing one just as the creatures reach the waterfall and descend. Morris brings the text full-circle with mention of the river: the animalsexhausted but ecstatic at the base of the waterfallwere living their separate lives, but they didnt know they were in it togetheruntilthe river came along. This high-spirited tale is a metaphor for life itself, and Oh, what a ride it is! julie Danielson (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A succession of forest creaturesand even the river itselflearn from one another and validate their relationships with both one another and the wider world.The simplicity of the text and the stylized, comical creatures belie the depth of the message that comes through for even the youngest of readers: We are all in this together, and our differences strengthen our unity. The river "didn't know it was a riveruntil" Bear accidentally begins riding down it on a piece of broken tree trunk. Bear in turn doesn't realize he is on an adventure until Froggy lands on his back; lonely Froggy doesn't know how many friends she has until the wary Turtles show up on the ever-more-swiftly-moving log; the Turtles learn how to enjoy the ride when Beaver climbs aboard; and so on through several more characters until they are all at the brink of a waterfall. Outstanding art perfectly complements the text, showing the animals' differing personalities while also using color, space, and patterns to create appealing scenery. There are several hilarious double-page spreads, including one from the animals' collective perspective, showing solely the various feet on the tree-trunk-cum-raft at the waterfall's edge, and one requiring a 90-degree turn, showing the plummeting animals as they reach for one anothersome looking worried and others, like Duck and Beaver, obviously enjoying the sudden drop.To quote one particularly joyous double-page spread, "Oh, what a ride!" (author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
