Do your children love seek-and-find books? Especially seek-and-find books that first and foremost tell a story, but have an added element of seeking and finding along the way? The kinds of books that are enjoyable to adults to read out loud over and over (and over) again, but that also beg to be read over and over (and over) again as children discover something new every time? If your children are like mine, and your answers to those questions were “Yes!” then you definitely need to check out All Along the River by Magnus Weightman.
Weightman’s story opens with Bunny playing with her rubber duck by a river, while her family looks on from the house, when all of the sudden Little Duck floats away! Never to fear, Bunny’s big brothers come running to help, hopping straight into their boat in order to get Little Duck “before she’s gone forever!” The three bunnies journey around bends, into forests, through farmlands, amidst the hubbub of big cities, and more… And if you stick with them until the end, you’re in for quite a surprise!
Okay, story aside, let’s talk about the delightful sibling relationship between the bunny siblings. Always on the lookout for books that model positive sibling relationships, I love the fact that Bunny’s big brothers jump to action without hesitation to help her rescue her rubber ducky as it floats down the river. They stick with her throughout the entire journey, understanding how important Little Duck is to her and doing whatever it takes to help rescue her. They’re such wonderful role models of helpful, understanding, and patient big siblings.
Finally, these illustrations deserve attention of their own. Full of color, excitement, and hilarious details, these just beg to be pored over through many, many rereads. My girls love following the secondary characters’ adventures on each page (especially the fishing lamb). Be sure to spend time with the endpapers… They add to the storyline while also presenting you with the aforementioned element of surprise!
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A big thank you to Clavis Publishing for sharing this book with our family in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions of this book are my own.
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