My River Author:Shari Halpern A basic ecological concept splashes to life in this picture book project, which won an art school contest for work dealing with environmental concerns. The brief text poses the question "Whose river is this?," while each successive spread introduces a living thing that makes use of the waterway. Frogs, water beetles, cattails and children stake ... more »their claims with phrases such as "I need the river" and "I was born here," until the text concludes, "It's everyone's river." An illustrated glossary identifies the plants and animals that appear throughout the book. With a painted-paper collage technique after the style of Eric Carle, Halpern depicts a virtual rainbow of life. Ample white backgrounds provide a vivid contrast for the boldly colored creatures and large black type. The message here may sound a bit ponderous to older readers, but younger children will welcome this cheery first look at ecology.« less