River Parade - Hardcover

Day, Alexandra

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670829463 ISBN 13: 9780670829460

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 1990

Synopsis

When a young boy goes for a boat ride on the river and accidentally falls in, he finds that swimming is not as frightening as he expected.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-- To open this book is to plunge into limpid watercolors that fairly swim on the page, and to touch, through clear depths, a child's experience. On a hot day a boy, age five or six, goes on a boat ride with his father. They take along a large picnic basket and three wooden toys. A red and black spotted dog, a red and white duck, and a chunky giraffe are lined up on the gunwale as Dad rows down the gloriously shimmering river. One by one they fall/jump/are knocked into the water, but that's okay: Dad ties each to a long string, and they bob along in the parade of the title. Finally the young narrator (wearing a life vest) finds himself in the river, too. "It was cold and nice . . . It's wonderful to swim in the river, as long as you're on a string." Resonant as that sentiment is (and it's nice to find a father on the other end of the umbilical cord), understatement beautifully complements the heady, evocative illustrations. They glisten with heat, light, and movement, describing river, sky, air, people, and objects in rich strokes of aqueous color. Around one simple incident this book conjures up an ideal vision of a place, and a profound glimpse at the relationship between love and freedom, holding on and letting go. --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

One blazingly hot summer day, a boy's father takes him for a boat ride on the river. At first, the youngster is a little frightened, but when some of his favorite toys fall into the water, they don't look scared at all. Father gently ties his son and three wooden toys to a tow-line and they all enjoy a cool swim, floating down the river as if in a parade. Shimmering with the summer heat, Day's watercolors are cool and inviting. In this simple, elegant picture book, her gentle, straightforward tale of father and son--and their participation in the delights of nature--becomes a joyous celebration of a happy day. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0670829463
• ISBN 13: 9780670829460
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32