Derp. I'm bummed by this cook. I loved Elisha Cooper's Caldecott honor title of "Big Cat, Little Cat." I believe in that book. But this one....I just don't. It's too wordy. Perhaps other offering by the author are the same way. I was just expecting something really different. ( )

Note: I received an F&G of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019. ( )

Elisha Cooper Talks with Roger (Horn Book, October 2019): https://www.hbook.com/?detailStory=elisha-cooper-talks-with-roger-2019

A woman sets out from a mountain lake to paddle the length of the Hudson River alone in her canoe.

A larger-than-average trim size serves this story well. Endpapers show a map of the Hudson River, from its beginning in Canada to its mouth in New York: the 300-mile journey of a woman in a canoe. The text is small, and set in separate paragraphs in different parts of the page, depending where the illustrations are.

Too long for little listeners (2-4), but fascinating for older ones, especially those interested in nature. Back matter includes an author's note, a note on the Hudson River, and additional sources.

*

Re-read November 2020
Whole Book Approach (What's going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find?)
Trim size: Slightly larger than average; portrait but almost square
Cover: Perspective puts the reader in the boat; vanishing point ahead on the horizon; forward momentum; the beginning of the journey. Back cover: the end of the journey, paddling with the city skyline in the background.
Under the cover (boards): Completely different! Sketches and photographs with white borders.
Endpapers: Map of the Hudson River and state borders, Atlantic Ocean, Lake Ontario (front); same map but with labels along the river for different parts of the story (back)
Title page: RIVER in river-color; a single oar/paddle. Facing page: Mom inside with two kids and a dog and a map; Dad outside securing canoe to the car.
First page: Small text in white space surrounding an illustration of the mom waving goodbye to her family from a canoe. The illustration is neither full-bleed nor in a square or rectangular air frame; the edges look like fluffy cloud edges.
Typography: A serif font
Throughout: some illustrations are full-bleed double page spreads, taking advantage of the trim size to create a spacious feeling; others are smaller, sequential ("simultaneous succession") illustrations showing action, time passing. Sometimes the gutter divides a full-bleed illustration on one side from smaller illustrations and generous white space on the other. Different times of day and night are shown. The focus is on the landscape, not the character(s); only on the first and last pages is the woman's face shown in any detail. This helps the reader imagine themselves in the boat? One spread includes a bird's-eye view - seagull included - of the city, with the woman in her canoe barely larger than a few millimeters in the river.
See also: Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall ( )

Beginning at Henderson Lake, in northern New York State's massive Adirondack Park, this lovely new picture-book from author/illustrator Elisha Cooper follows a lone canoeist as she paddles down the mighty Hudson River, traversing the 315 miles to New York City. Along the way she encounters many wonderful creatures, from a moose to a bald eagle, passes towns and cities of various sizes, and must get past rapids, dams and waterfalls. Sketching all the way, the canoeist is alive to the wonder around her, and excited by the adventure. But once she reaches the city and meets up with the friend who crafted her canoe, she heads for the Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey, and for her home and family...

Although not quite as informative in nature, River reminded me strongly of Holling Clancy Holling's classic Paddle to the Sea, which follows a carved wooden boat on its voyage through the Great Lakes and (eventually) to the ocean. I appreciated this picture-book glimpse of the beauty, majesty and great length of the Hudson, which begins so far away in the wilderness, and ends its own journey at one of the world's largest and most developed cities. The text here is engaging, describing the canoeist's struggles, and the wonders she sees, while the artwork is lovely. Cooper never really focuses in on his human protagonist, keeping her small and indistinct, which I think works for his project, keeping the river at the center of the story. Having recently won a Caldecott Honor for his Big Cat, Little Cat, I would not be at all surprised if Cooper was honored again for this one, which I think has a chance at the medal itself. Recommended to fans of Cooper's art, and for anyone looking for picture-books about rivers in general, the Hudson in particular, or humans going on marvelous adventures. ( )