THE BEGINNING OF THE RIVER: Herman's Quest

Drake, John; Kortekaas, Kelly

ISBN 10: 0963357409 / ISBN 13: 9780963357403

Published by Little Turtle Press, Portland, OR, 1992

About this Item

Signed first printing of this colorful story of the fantastic creatures a cat meets on his journey to discover the source of his local river. Herman is based on Drake and Kortekaas's real cat, a stray they named Herman Socrates Drake. 11'' x 9.5''. Original color pictorial boards. Original unclipped ($16.95) color pictorial dust jacket. Illustrated in color. [48] pages. Signed by Drake and Kortekaas to title page. Jacket with mild edgewear, short shallow cut to rear. Clean and bright.

Seller Inventory # 48065

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE BEGINNING OF THE RIVER: Herman's Quest
• Publisher: Little Turtle Press, Portland, OR
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0963357409
• ISBN 13: 9780963357403
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Kortekaas, Kelly
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fine in near fine dust jacket.
• Dust Jacket Condition: dj
• Signed: Signed
• Seller catalogs:
  • Picture Books

About this title

Synopsis

Sitting on his favorite grass knoll, watching the river roll by, a cat reflects on where it all began and decides to search for the beginning of the river.

Reviews

At first glance, this collaboration promises much, with its whimsical, color-drenched illustrations and neatly executed layout and design. From the opening rhyming couplets, however, the brightness dulls--"There is a river that is not so far away, as you shall see. / In fact, you might even say it's a part of you and a part of me. / Some say the river flows here, some say it flows there, / and even others say it flows everywhere." For all of Herman the cat's searching, the river remains a mystery, though he gains "true" friendships in a string of imaginative characters. They, unfortunately, are barely sustained by a weak and diverted story filled with abstract axioms. Drake's unfocused tale is told in the voice of a juvenile who has not yet learned that particulars tell, and that every sentence must shoulder the story. The sporadic rhymes, frequently set against clouds of psycho-mystical fluff, often distract. Kortekaas's fun-loving illustrations, though amusing, do not save the book as a reading experience. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.