The Big Rivers: The Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio

Describes the conditions that led up to the severe flooding in the Mississippi River Valley in 1993

Grade 1-3?In simple, clear language and with splendid watercolor drawings, Hiscock tells the story of the "great flood" of 1993. Using examples from everyday life that are sure to inform his audience, the author/illustrator paints a picture of how circumstance, bad luck, and nature conspired to lead to the disaster. He does not shy away from the negative impact humans have had on the environment, or the impact the flooding had on the lives of the area residents. Detailed, captioned drawings explain such concepts as the water cycle, levees, and sandbagging, while maps give a good sense of the geography. When the text talks of "brown, muddy water," the powerful two-page spread makes a visual impression that is sure to last. There have been a number of recent books about this flood such as Karin Badt's The Mississippi Flood of 1993 (Children's Press, 1994) and Patricia Lauber's Flood (National Geographic, 1996) but for its beauty, simplicity, and obvious compassion for the victims, this one is a winner.?Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1993, the big rivers of the subtitle flooded huge areas of the Midwest. While small floods are an annual occurrence, ``a few times each century,'' flooding is extensive. Hiscock (The Big Storm, 1993, etc.) traveled the rivers at the height of the flooding in 1993, taking photographs, making sketches, and helping fill sandbags to keep the water back. He reports in an afterword, ``Being there is quite different from watching the flood on TV. . . . The power of the river is so apparent that when a levee fails it is accepted with a kind of quiet reverence.'' This reverence is reflected in the soft watercolor paintings of rising waters and flooded homes and fields--even in sketches of people cleaning up the mess afterward. The tone is calm and the prose is lyrical, but also informative, making brief reference to the problem of river management. This title is visually appealing and presents a surprisingly serene perspective; it might be paired with more critical accounts-- e.g., Patricia Lauber's Flood (1996)--that focus more on the underlying causes of the flooding. (map, diagrams) (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 3-5. The title suggests a book that explores the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio Rivers, but the real subject here is flooding. Beginning and ending with discussions of the water cycle, Hiscock explains that the three rivers gather water from throughout the middle of the U.S. and form the world's third largest tidal basin. The book focuses on the 1993 floods in the Midwest, showing how unusual weather patterns affected rainfall, what happened when the rivers overflowed their banks, and how people prepared for the flooding and handled it after it came. Hiscock's well-conceived and appealing watercolor paintings, some in double-page spreads, demonstrate clearly what is happening. His time line of rainfall and flood levels in 1993 is particularly effective. An excellent resource for an increasingly timely topic Carolyn Phelan