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River of Dust

The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Over and Under the Rainforest meets This Is How We Do It in A River of Dust—a celebration of global interconnectedness with an environmental lens, at a time when we need it most.

I am dust,
the dust of North Africa.
I connect continents.

The dust of the Sahel—a ribbon of land between the Sahara and the savannah—lifts with the harmattan wind each winter season. But this is not just any dust. The Sahel's dust will mix with dust from the Sahara and travel thousands of miles westward, across the African continent and the Atlantic Ocean, to reunite with its unforgotten home deep in the Amazon basin.

Told in the perspective of dust, A River of Dust takes readers on a journey through vibrantly illustrated landscapes, celebrating the power and wonder of Earth's ecosystems, and showing how these tiny particles are in fact key to the health of our planet. Meticulously researched and lushly illustrated, this picture book is a lyrical ode to global interconnectedness and the vital roles that even the smallest play in taking care of our planet.
GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY: Just like This Is How We Do It, this book emphasizes global connectivity: the Amazon can't succeed by itself, and we all have a role to play.
SMALL PARTICLES, MIGHTY IMPACT: This powerful story of the Sahel's very necessary contribution to the world demonstrates how seemingly inconsequential particles are key to the health of our planet. And if dust can be so important, readers will imagine the impact each one of them can have on the world around them.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL: With strong STEM themes, this offers plenty of opportunities to incorporate into lesson plans, from units on geography and environmental science, particularly lessons on the rainforest, global warming, and interconnected ecosystems.
SOOTHING LULLABY: Poetic and yearning, this picture book has a gentle message that reassures its readers about remaining connected despite time and distance with an affirmation of love that parents will enjoy sharing with their children.
ARTFUL & LUSH: Vivid landscapes, from the deserts of Africa to the rainforests of the Amazon, by illustrator Eugenia Mello, make this lyrical picture book come to life. Note the gorgeous spattering of foil dust on the jacket, which makes this cover glow!
WANT TO LEARN MORE?: Meticulously researched information included at the back of the book provides insight and compelling scientific facts for readers who are curious to know more. Did you know that there are more trees in the Amazon than stars in the Milky Way galaxy?
Perfect for:
  • Resource for teachers and librarians seeking books about nature, the earth, and ecology for kids
  • Parents looking for non-fiction picture books and science books for children
  • A beautiful environmental picture book and lyrical story for anyone interested in learning about ecosystems and the environment
  • Fans of Over and Under the Rainforest, Over and Under the Pond, and other popular nature books for young readers
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    • Reviews

      • Kirkus

        May 1, 2023
        Soil travels from the Sahara to the Amazon. The narrator is the personification of dust in Africa addressing the Amazon. It reminisces that "Millions of years ago, / no ocean lay between us" but that "slowly, great forces tore us apart," referring to the continental drift. The voice reassures that "I've found a way to reach you, / to sustain you, / to help you flourish." The focus is on a collection of soil that originates in the Sahel in Africa. This section of land stretches across several countries "between / the Sahara Desert, to the north, / and the tropical savanna, / to the south." As the wind blows, this collection of phosphorus-rich dust crosses the Atlantic to eventually settle and enrich the soil of the Amazon rainforest. The lyrical narrative focuses on the whimsical aspects of the journey. The spare text ("the smudge on a finger, / the grime that swirls down a drain") is woven into Mello's bright and speckled textured illustrations. Dust is found trailing a charging group of gazelles in the savanna or swirled in the wing of a pelican over a colorful village on the riverside. Particles of dust are even lost "falling into a dolphin's eye," "perhaps floating forever" in a bustling ocean scene. The soil reaches its final destination, renewing the connection between biomes and highlighting the interconnections in the natural world. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An artistic introduction to a compelling sedimentary journey. (questions for curious minds, author's note) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

        COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • The Horn Book

        July 1, 2023
        The narrator here is dust from North Africa speaking directly to its destination, the Amazon rainforest. Poetic text meditates on the way Africa and South America were once joined: "Millions of years ago, no ocean lay between us. You and I were one. And then slowly, slowly, great forces tore us apart, creating seven continents surrounded by vast oceans." They are still connected by dust that blows continuously from the Sahel across the Atlantic to the Amazon, where it provides nutrients that support the Amazon basin's lush growth. Glorious digitally rendered double-page spreads echo the text's mood, mixing the particulars of cram-cram grass and baobab trees with expressionistic imagery that reinforces a sense of flow. Illustrations of landscapes and animals in warm earth tones with pops of bright color and nuance in their textures and shading will enchant many young readers. The vivid vocabulary and soothing cadence of the text are pleasing, if light on specifics; extensive back matter provides some thoughtful support for ecologically minded children and caregivers. Adrienne L. Pettinelli

        (Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

      • Publisher's Weekly

        Starred review from July 24, 2023
        “Millions of years ago,/ no ocean lay between us./ You and I were one.” This moving tribute to global interconnectedness narrates from the perspective of the dust of North Africa. On the dust’s long journey to deliver phosphorus to the Amazon, the harmattan wind sends it on from the Sahel, and on “across grasslands/ and through bulbous baobab trees” before it crosses the Atlantic. Smudgy strokes and thin-lined figures by Mello suggest the dust’s constant movement and the entities that witness its incredible migration. At voyage’s end, it delivers an emotional declaration of deep and abiding association: “I end my journey here, with you,// renewing our connection.” Distinctive lines by Hoffman lend a seriousness to this story, which prompts sincere awe for the natural world. Detailed back matter and an author’s note conclude. Ages 5–8.

      • The Horn Book

        July 1, 2023
        he narrator here is dust from North Africa speaking directly to its destination, the Amazon rainforest. Poetic text meditates on the way Africa and South America were once joined: "Millions of years ago, no ocean lay between us. You and I were one. And then slowly, slowly, great forces tore us apart, creating seven continents surrounded by vast oceans." They are still connected by dust that blows continuously from the Sahel across the Atlantic to the Amazon, where it provides nutrients that support the Amazon basin's lush growth. Glorious digitally rendered double-page spreads echo the text's mood, mixing the particulars of cram-cram grass and baobab trees with expressionistic imagery that reinforces a sense of flow. Illustrations of landscapes and animals in warm earth tones with pops of bright color and nuance in their textures and shading will enchant many young readers. The vivid vocabulary and soothing cadence of the text are pleasing, if light on specifics; extensive back matter provides some thoughtful support for ecologically minded children and caregivers.

        (Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    Formats

    • OverDrive Read

    Languages

    • English

    Levels

    • Lexile® Measure:1180
    • Text Difficulty:8-10

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