River Town

As they did in Prairie Town, the Geiserts explore the changing rhythms of a community throughout the year in written and visual detail, and the results are fascinating. During the fall harvest, trucks, trains and barges carry the town's goods around the world. But come Halloween, the residents are ready to take a break and have fun. Winter brings a frozen quiet to the river-save for the skaters and ice fishers. And with the spring thaw come worries about flooding. Summer once again sees the river and its banks as the hub of activities. Though the text sometimes suggests a setting in the past, Arthur Geisert's crisp, precise ink-and-watercolor paintings contain a few more contemporary touches, assuring readers that river town life has been relatively stable over time. Children will easily absorb the deceptively straightforward information about river town industry and economy. As a clever device, an endnote points out specific stories told in the illustrations (e.g., a boulder rolls down the quarry and causes damage, which is later repaired; a supply of coal is consumed and replenished). Kids and adults can be sure of finding new things upon repeat readings. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)