Horn Book

Beautiful paintings and formal, framed pages of text follow the development of the shallow grassy river known as the Everglades. The thoughtfully explained habitat history, from its prehistory to human spoilage, concludes with a heavy-handed lesson as a Native American tells the story to a group of children whom he urges to become rescuers of the Everglades.

Kirkus Reviews

I am going to tell you a story....It's a story about a river,'' says a storyteller to several children in a boat in this tale. This narrator describes the formation of the Everglades, the plants, animals, and people who inhabit the unique ecosystem, and its near-destruction through waste and carelessness. The listeners, a group of interracial children poling through the silver waters of the Everglades in a dugout canoe, complain,But this is a sad story...Please tell us a happy story.'' He revises the ending, noting that the children grow up and run the planet differently. Full-color paintings by Minor complement the story and gracefully capture the beauty and life found in a panorama of plants and animals. A final page identifies some of the species depicted. This is every bit as didactic as John Burningham's Hey! Get Off Our Train (1990), but has powerful moments, including a convincing message, poetically told. (Picture book. 5+)"

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This haunting plea for the preservation of endangered ecosystems [is] a particularly persuasive environmental work,"""" said PW. Ages 6-9. (May)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--An Indian storyteller poles five children through the Everglades in his dugout, and in language as lush as the land of which he speaks, he tells them the story of the river of grass. He speaks with reverence, beginning eons ago, when there was only the sun and the sea, taking the story through the formation of land rich with lakes and rivers. His words, brimming with metaphor and simile, describe an abundant web of plant and animal life, thriving in ``a living kaleidoscope of color and beauty.'' Minor's paintings, alive with color and detail, open a panoramic door into this idyllic past. The storyteller continues, describing the various peoples who passed through or lived gracefully in this place. So, the children wonder as they look around them, what happened to all that you describe? Now his statements are stark as he describes how hunters, collectors, and finally developers pushed native species to the brink of extinction, or beyond. The listening children soberly ask for a happier tale and their guide describes a future in which they are in control. The story and the art create a mystical tale that flows from a serene start to a powerful conclusion. With the magic of Lynne Cherry's The Great Kapok Tree (Harcourt, 1990) and the strength of Chief Seattle's words in Brother Eagle, Sister Sky (Dial, 1991), this is a plea for conservation and a story eloquently told.--Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System