A River of Dust - by Jilanne Hoffmann (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A narrative nonfiction story detailing the long distance that dust from the Sahel in Africa travels across the Atlantic Ocean to replenish life in the Amazon Rainforest. Told from the perspective of dust, A River of Dust takes readers on a journey through vibrantly illustrated landscapes, celebrating the power and wonder of Earth's ecosystems, and showing how these tiny particles are in fact key to the health of our planet"--

Book Synopsis

Over and Under the Rainforest meets This Is How We Do It in A River of Dust--a celebration of global interconnectedness with an environmental lens, at a time when we need it most.

I am dust,
the dust of North Africa.
I connect continents.

The dust of the Sahel--a ribbon of land between the Sahara and the savannah--lifts with the harmattan wind each winter season. But this is not just any dust. The Sahel's dust will mix with dust from the Sahara and travel thousands of miles westward, across the African continent and the Atlantic Ocean, to reunite with its unforgotten home deep in the Amazon basin.

Told in the perspective of dust, A River of Dust takes readers on a journey through vibrantly illustrated landscapes, celebrating the power and wonder of Earth's ecosystems, and showing how these tiny particles are in fact key to the health of our planet. Meticulously researched and lushly illustrated, this picture book is a lyrical ode to global interconnectedness and the vital roles that even the smallest play in taking care of our planet.

GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY: Just like This Is How We Do It, this book emphasizes global connectivity: the Amazon can't succeed by itself, and we all have a role to play.

SMALL PARTICLES, MIGHTY IMPACT: This powerful story of the Sahel's very necessary contribution to the world demonstrates how seemingly inconsequential particles are key to the health of our planet. And if dust can be so important, readers will imagine the impact each one of them can have on the world around them.

EDUCATIONAL TOOL: With strong STEM themes, this offers plenty of opportunities to incorporate into lesson plans, from units on geography and environmental science, particularly lessons on the rainforest, global warming, and interconnected ecosystems.

SOOTHING LULLABY: Poetic and yearning, this picture book has a gentle message that reassures its readers about remaining connected despite time and distance with an affirmation of love that parents will enjoy sharing with their children.

ARTFUL & LUSH: Vivid landscapes, from the deserts of Africa to the rainforests of the Amazon, by illustrator Eugenia Mello, make this lyrical picture book come to life. Note the gorgeous spattering of foil dust on the jacket, which makes this cover glow!

WANT TO LEARN MORE?: Meticulously researched information included at the back of the book provides insight and compelling scientific facts for readers who are curious to know more. Did you know that there are more trees in the Amazon than stars in the Milky Way galaxy?

Perfect for:

• Resource for teachers and librarians seeking books about nature, the earth, and ecology for kids
• Parents looking for non-fiction picture books and science books for children
• A beautiful environmental picture book and lyrical story for anyone interested in learning about ecosystems and the environment
• Fans of Over and Under the Rainforest, Over and Under the Pond, and other popular nature books for young readers

Review Quotes

"Renewing the connection between biomes and highlighting the interconnections in the natural world... An artistic introduction to a compelling sedimentary journey." -- Kirkus Reviews

"...[M]oving tribute to global interconnectedness...prompts sincere awe for the natural world." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Poetic text... Illustrations of landscapes and animals in warm earth tones with pops of bright color and nuance in their textures and shading will enchant many young readers." -- The Horn Book

About the Author

Jilanne Hoffmann is a children's book author with a BS in Engineering and an MFA in Creative Writing. She has traveled to the Amazon rainforest highlands in Peru, collected the dust of six continents in her shoes, and plans to see the dust swirl in Africa's Sahel and Sahara Desert before she turns to dust. Jilanne lives with her family in San Francisco, California, where dust from China's Gobi Desert flies on the wind, on its way to feed the trees of the High Sierra.

Eugenia Mello is an illustrator and graphic designer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. When she was seven years old, she moved to Costa Rica, where she was surrounded by the most incredible nature. She was deeply impacted by the majestic scenery she saw: enormous leaves, infinite greens, the rainbow colors of the animals, and the myriad of small creatures, from insects to frogs. This experience has shown her that everything on this planet is connected, bound together by invisible ties that we might not see but which are there, keeping everything alive in a delicate but ever-so-strong balance. She has an MFA in Illustration and lives in New York City.