Rivers: A Visual History from River to Sea

In an ornate volume, Goes (Timeline) opens with a short exploration of the five oceans before focusing on rivers in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Antarctica. Spreads focus on single rivers of significant size, as well as smaller ones in close proximity and those that ultimately merge. Goes succinctly describes each: “In the east of Russia’s Siberia, the Lena is one of the longest rivers in the world.” Spreads show impish figures, along with cultural, geographical, historical, and mythological icons (“The kappa is a mythical water spirit that lives in Japan’s rivers and lakes”). The presentation is appropriately fluid, focusing less on individual locations or relative distances and more on the interconnectivity of the world’s bodies of water. Ages 7–12. (Oct.)