Momo celebrating time to read: A River Running Through You by Amy-Jane Beer illustrated by Elin Manon

"Have you ever lingered on a riverbank watching the water flow, and wondered where it comes from, or where it might be going? These are very old questions.

And old questions often have stories for answers."

You might expect this book to follow the journey of a river from source to ocean but that does not happen. Instead we read about all the places the river has visited such as the ocean, glaciers, underground, in swamps, marshes, ponds and lakes.

I can imagine taking this book outside and sitting by a river and reading this book quietly and slowly.

The format of this book is similar to the series Read and Wonder or as they were later called Nature Storybooks with text in two formats - the lyrical story in a larger font and science facts in a smaller italic font.

Think about these lyrical phrases: "held the land it it's ice embrace"; "where in darkness it crept and pooled"; "your river has lived uncounted lives".

This is a book to share with all ages from 6 to 11 and perhaps even junior high school.

Our students and children and grandchildren are so lucky today because there are so many wonderful non fiction books that use simply wonderful illustrations. Take a look at this Pinterest collection from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. You can see inside A River Running through You here published in 2026.

Can I suggest you act quickly - the hardcover edition of this book is a great price AUS$25 [9781917366304] and it is here too. I highly recommend you add this book to your library.

Bookseller blurb: Embark on a never-ending voyage in which young readers explore some very old questions-questions so old that they have stories for answers. This mesmerizing journey through mountain springs to vast oceans, from rivers in the sky to streams within our own bodies, guides readers through reflections on nature, life, and our place within it.

A River Running Through You is on the Children's Wainwright Prize for Picture Books Shortlist 2026. The winner is The Great Bear by Annie Booker.

Amy-Jane Beer is a biologist turned naturalist and writer. She has worked for more than 20 years as a science writer and editor, contributing to more than 40 books on natural history. She is currently a Country Diarist for The Guardian, a columnist for British Wildlife and a feature writer for BBC Wildlife magazine, among others. She campaigns for the equality of access to nature and collaboration between farming and conservation sectors. Her book The Flow won the 2023 James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing.

Elin Manon is a freelance illustrator from Wales now based in Cornwall. She graduated from Falmouth University in 2020. Her work is inspired by the natural world, ecology, folklore and anthropology.

The illustrations reflect the lyrical and slightly mystical mood the text creates. Books for Keeps