The River That Flows Beside Me

The River That Flows Beside Me is a beautiful, intricately detailed visual delight, following a river's journey from the top of a mountain to the sea. I was not expecting the detail, in text or in pictures, but this book is an amazing gem!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

This book is a work of art plus a learning experience. The layout of text and illustrations is quite unique. I don’t know how it will be presented in book form, but reading it online was like traveling along a river having an interesting adventure. At times this reader felt like she was flying over the river looking down on it.

A beautifully visual representation of the journey of a river from source to the sea. With simple text and eye-catching illustrations, Charlotte Gullain has created the perfect text to explain how rivers are formed. Folding out to create a frieze, the pages invite the reader to pore over them and linger. There is so much going on to develop vocabulary and develop book chat, as well as supporting geography learning. A must for any budding geographer or teacher of primary geography.

This book is absolutely stunning. It is like taking a walk along the river. I have never had a concertina book before, but I can just picture how stunning this will be in its physical format.

So much detail in this book and the illustrations are amazing. It gives the details of the journey of water from a spring to the sea. Not only that, this book also illustrates what animals are in each part of the river and what activities humans and animals usually carry out around the water. I saw on the ARC form, the illustrations are elongated and don't look like the book on pages, I wonder what the physical book would look like.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Quarto Publishing Group, and Charlotte Guillain for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Great overview of rivers! I could see this being a great tool for homeschoolers or children who have a particular interest in waterways. I really liked how it followed the length of the River, showing all the features along the way. Very engaging with the way that the illustrations and text flow across the pages.

This is an absolutely beautiful book, weaving together nature, history, civilization, and sports. While placing the river at the center of the book, it is truly inclusive of so many different aspects of rivers and how humans and animals interact with rivers, as well as how the river itself interacts with and changes earth. Not only does this book include history, but it addresses change over time by showing, for example, water wheels and how they became factories along the banks of the river. This book reads like a conversation that I might have with my young children, following several different interwoven topics together. I love that it flows seamlessly from one topic to another, all tied together by the river.

We’re big fans of the other books in this series including The Street Beneath My Feet, The Skies Above My Eyes, and the Sea Below My Toes. The format allows you to see how a river flows from mountain all the way to the ocean and the changes it makes along the way to the land, the wildlife, and humans, as well as our changes to the water. This is a really great introduction for kids on rivers, creeks, streams, lakes, etc. It is full of information and great illustrations.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

This book is so full of incredible illustrations that show the journey of a river from source to sea. It kept me and my daughters entertained as we explored each page and learned about the various ecosystems and other natural elements coexisting alongside the river.

Impossible to not love this book, I downloaded it to share with the kids I work with, but upon reading it for myself even, the illustrations are beautiful & everything written & drawn are so well thought-out. I wish I can have this in physical form but it's impressive book for children & adults alike! Thank you NetGalley for providing the eARC of this book.