Eighteen of the grandest rivers are given their due in this colorful and informative book. What could have been a boring text filled description of each water source, turns into an enlightening journey.

Each river is given a two page spread (except for the Nile where the pages fold out to reveal the full length). Your eyes might first find the informative text box taking up less than a quarter of the space. Or maybe you’ll begin your journey by following the river’s course where brightly colored illustrations display what you would find along the river. Stop to read any of the several paragraphs to discover some of the unique characteristics.

You’ll be surprised at what you didn’t know like names of rivers rarely mentioned in geography classes (Orinoco, the mysterious jungle river, or Murray, Australia’s vast waterway). At 11 by 15 inches, GREAT RIVERS OF THE WORLD will most likely hide all but the top of young reader’s heads.

What a fantastic, enjoyable way to explore these legendary rivers whether it be your first time or not.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Volker Mehnert is a journalist, travel writer, and author of a children’s biography of the explorer Alexander von Humboldt. He lives in Bad Soden, Germany.

Martin Haake has created illustrated works for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Penguin Books, and Volkswagen. His illustrations have earned him several awards, including the German Art Directors Club’s silver medal, of which he is a two-time recipient. He lives in Berlin, Germany.

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I was given a copy of the book to write this honest review. Comments are welcome below.