25th September World Rivers Day

“Rivers are the arteries of our planet; they are lifelines in the truest sense.”
~ Mark Angelo

 World Rivers Day takes place on the fourth Sunday of September.  It’s a  time to reflect on the significance of rivers to the health of the earth. Today, World Rivers Day is observed in 100 countries around the world where those involved show the community and society at large how they can limit the threats to depleting waterways.

There are so many wonderful picture books about rivers, many with beautiful artwork and a text that allows young students to explore all the uses we have for rivers and how we may be damaging their water quality and feasibility.

See:

A River by Marc Martin

There is a river outside my window. 
Where will it take me? 
So begins an imaginary journey from the city to the sea. From factories to farmlands, freeways to forest, each new landscape is explored through stunning illustrations and poetic text from this award-winning picture-book creators.

Rivers by Peter Goes

This breathtaking journey along the most important rivers in the world takes us from the Nile to the Amazon, the Mekong Delta to the Mississippi, the Murray to the Waikato. 

The River  by Patricia Hegarty and Hanako Clulow

Follows a little fish on her epic journey downriver as she travels out into the unknown. 

What is a River?  by Monika Vaicenaviciene

"What is a river?" an inquisitive young girl asks her grandmother as the pair sits together on the river's banks.  The river becomes a vessel for enormous complexity, a lens through which the interconnectedness of our shared earth can be understood.

River Story by Meredith Hooper  and Bee Willey

Follow a river from its beginnings as a mountain stream formed from melting snow, as it rushes over rocks and through valleys to the busy city, and finally to its end, where it joins the sea. 

River by Elisha Cooper 

Here readers can follow a traveller's trek down the Hudson River as she and her canoe explore the wildlife, flora and fauna, and urban landscape at the river's edge. 

On the River  by Roland Harvey

Roland Harvey and his new pelican friend are off on an adventure to walk, fish, canoe, raft, windsurf, sail, paddle-steam, houseboat and even fly their way along the Murray River, from its smallest beginnings in the high country to where it meets the sea.  

Song of the River  by Joy Cowley and Kimberly Andrews

"Come with me. Come with me. I will take you to the sea," sings the stream to Cam, the mountain boy. And so Cam's adventure begins, an adventure in which he will see many strange and wondrous sights, and make a marvellous discovery. 

 

As Strong as the River by Sarah Noble

Good book to look at the simile of the title and compare it with the life of the bears that fish in it.

Song of the Mekong River by Na-Mi Choi and Sinae Jo

The Mekong River is called 'the lifeline of Vietnam.' The Vietnamese people's lives are dependent on the river. They build houses on it, do business on their boats, and farm crops at the mouth of the great Mekong River. This book is about Tui who lives in a water village. 

Sacred River by Ted Lewin

This book is about the River Ganges and the illustrations really capture the importance of the river to the people who live in India. Long out of print, this book and The Children of the Yangtze River which is also out of print are two of my favourite books. There is so much to talk about, wonder about and question in these two books about the impacts of river life in India and China.

Amazon River  by Sangma Francis

Take a journey through South America along the winding Amazon River, spotting tree frogs, piranhas, snakes and tropical insects along the way. Where does the river begin, and where does it end? Which animals dwell in its murky waters and how much life does it sustain in the habitats all along its banks? 

We're Sailing Down the Nile  by Laurie Krebs and Anne Wilson

Set sail along the mighty Nile River to experience the wonders of Egypt. The lilting, rhyming story text is followed by eleven pages full of educational information about ancient Egypt, gods and goddesses, a helpful map, and much more. 

Amazing Rivers  by Julie Vosburgh Agnone and Kerry Hyndman

Takes readers on a tour of the world's waterways, revealing the animals that call them home, the societies that rely on them, and the environmental issues threatening them along the way.

Rivertime  by Trace Bella

A tender and beautifully illustrated tale of a boy and his bird-watching uncle, on a paddling trip on Australia's Glenelg River. A story about slowing down, growing up, and connecting with the land and its creatures.

The River  by Tom Percival

Rowan loves the river; it's just like he is. On some days, it's quiet and calm, on others it's light and playful, and then there are the days when it roars along, wild and angry. But when Rowan goes through a particularly difficult winter, the river freezes - just like Rowan. Can Rowan find a way to release his frozen feelings, and allow the river to flow freely once more?

And given that many rivers here in NSW are flooding again and major roads are cut it is ever more important for students to understand the role of rivers in our world and the dangers that beset them.