1. Animals
2. Art motifs
3. Birds
4. Daily life
5. Environment
6. Relationship to place
7. Rivers and creeks
8. Water
9. Wildlife

‘The River’ is the ideal opportunity for reader and listener to ‘look’, ‘listen’ and ‘learn’ about creatures along the river. The repetitive refrains, ‘Look with your eyes, what do you see?’ and ‘Listen with your ears, what do you hear?’ entice young listeners to pay attention to the illustration opposite. There is the answer with the animal or bird in action, for example, it is a good that is ‘scratch, scratch, scratching in the murky river mud’. The words are simple and easily remembered after one reading, thus ‘The River’ is the perfect read aloud. Attention is paid to rich verbs which might not be expected but will be remembered after a single reading. Featured are green ants crawling, frog croaking, goanna running, fish splashing, turtle peeping, emu calling, kangaroo jumping, goose scratching, snake sliding and crocodile chomping. Each bird and animal is actively engaged with the river inviting the viewer to look even more closely.

The artwork is both simple and sophisticated. A trio of endpapers and title pages seamlessly lead the reader to wonder what will happen. The intense greys, browns and olive green coloured plants, river bushes and trees are juxtaposed with the deep blues of the river. Aboriginal motif patterns outlined in bold white capture each river creature. This simplicity of both words and images offer an unforgettable experience and call for multiple readings.

Sally Morgan belongs to the Palyku people from the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia. Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr is a Yolŋu man from the Ganalbingu clan.

1. Paperbark Words Blog by Joy Lawn, ‘Inside the 2022 CBCA Notable Books, ‘The River’, 9 Mar 2022 https://paperbarkwords.blog/2022/03/09/the-river-by-sally-morgan-johnny-warrkatja-malibirr/
2. The TeachingBooks Blog, Guest Blogger: Sally Morgan on ‘Indigenous Guide for the Children Who Will Inherit Our Earth’, includes references to ‘Little Bird’s Day’ and ‘The River’, both books by Sally Morgan and Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr, 30 Nov 2021 https://forum.teachingbooks.net/2021/11/guest-blogger-sally-morgan/
3. Reading Time review by Jennifer Mors of ‘The River’, 9 Nov 2021 https://readingtime.com.au/the-river/
4. Underground Writers, review by Lauren Pratt of ‘The River’, 6 Oct 2021 https://underground-writers.org/review-of-the-river-by-sally-morgan-and-johnny-warrkatja-malibirr-by-lauren-pratt/
5. Joyful_J_Family a child’s reading of ‘The River’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVy7J1fieaE