I Know the River Loves Me: Yo se que el rio me ama

by Maya Gonzalez

A girl expresses her love of the river that she visits, plays in, and cares for throughout the year. This bilingual title in English and Spanish is written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Spanish Literature, Storytime, Fiction, Environment

24 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2009

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to my daughters before they went to bed and they loved it! They really understood the figurative language in the story. They also liked hearing it in Spanish, too. The illustrations are amazing the way they make her and the river almost seem as if they are one. Giving the river such human characteristics allows the reader to0 feel as if he/she is also best friends with the river. I would use this book to teach personification to my students.

[Bridget Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m using this to make a bilingual lodge program!

[Cindy]

El rio de mi vida..

A bilingual children's book that is beautifully illustrated. A book for those of us who have grown up near a river or those of us who love nature.

[hhhhhhhhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm reading this for our earth day storytime.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Earth Day themed book for young ones.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freakin adorable.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated poetic picture book that describes a child's relationship with the river.

[Angelique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art work!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book for Earth Day! "The river takes care of me and I take care of the river. I only leave behind what already belongs to her."

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I walked by it a few times at the ALA exhibit hall in June, and each time, couldn't take my eyes off of it. [You know when a book calls to you like that, it is not be missed.:] Maya Christina Gonzalez has written a bilingual picture book (English/Spanish) that deserves the Pura Bellpre Honor nod that it received. The illustrations are gorgeous, with an artistic quality, and the story itself is simple and beautiful.

As the title implies, the basic story is a little girl talking about how much she loves the river by describing how she interacts with it in given seasons. A must for anyone who loves poetic and beautiful picture books, particularly for those who want to encourage ecological conservation and love of our natural resources.

[Christy McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Know the River Loves me is a loving book about a girl named Maya in love with the river. The river welcomes her and holds her up when she dives in. The river is Maya's best friend and keeps her cool during the summer months. Maya loves the river because the river loves Maya. Maya Christina Gonzalez writes of a story of her youth and her love of not only the river but nature in general. She treats the river as one would treat a friend. It gives the lesson of friendship and inclusion. The subtle illustrations help give the calm relaxing tone of the story. They make the story enjoyable in all senses.

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rich and beautiful bilingual book is captivating in all the ways possible. The drawings and colors of the illustrations are gorgeous. The language is rich to the point of creating a multi-sensorial experience on every page. Gonzalez's story is successful in sharing and expressing the love and connection between humans and their natural environments, and I think this is a very important issue to address with children. Like a river, this story flows. One very small observation: It needs editing for the Spanish part. I wonder, was it originally written in English?

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Fantasy
This story is written in both English and Spanish. Although the illustrator doesn't use color to illustrate the girl, she does an amazing job with her bone structure making the character seem very realistic. The rest of the book is colored very vivid and alive. This story is about a little girl named Maya that has a very close bond to the river. However, it doesn't have a problem nor a resolution which is because it's a short children's book.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best children's book I've ever read. My two year old daughter agrees. The illustrations are gorgeous, creative and colorful. The story portrays a relationship between a girl and the river she loves; it invokes a sense of stewardship for rivers and a kinship with nature. I plan on giving this book at all baby showers from now on. LOVE IT!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this gorgeous book, young girl Maya shares all the different ways that she knows the river loves her. She says “When I jump on her back she holds me up.” and “The river takes care of me and I take care of the river.” Water (the river) swirls throughout the pages, sometimes with fish in the water, often with clouds overhead and a lovely sky. She writes, "we flow together'.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book and I am definitely buying a copy. The river is vibrant and gorgeous in all of the illustrations. There is joy and beauty throughout the book too. I'm so glad that I was able to read this and meet the author.

[Liz Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book in words and pictures. Each page bursts with a constant flow of water and all the ways the main character loves the river and how the river loves them. "I know the river loves me because when I look into her face, she's happy to see me." I love Maya Christina Gonzalez' art and it always puts a smile on my face.

[Cat Fithian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bi-lingual book beautifully illustrated. Poetry. I like everything about this book.

[Clementine · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connecting with nature
especially the river.

The author illustrator is a river lover, her favorite river is the Yuba in California.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story of connection to the earth.

[Rianna Starheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute bilingual beginner book about a girl's relationship with the river.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle tale of love, respect, and appreciation for the wonders of nature and the environment as a young girl shares her love of life on and near rivers.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 2010 Americas Honorable book.
This bilingual text is about a girl and her relationship with a river. Throughout the story, the river is personified and filled with emotion. The text is creatively placed so that it interweaves with the illustrations. Very touching and appropriate for any age!



On a side note, when I Googled this title to find a read aloud version, I found this idea of a story line where the book is translated in various languages. The library has people call a number and you hear the story through the phone. How neat! Here's the link but I haven't tried it since it was posted in 2010.

http://www.reflectionpress.com/blog/2...

[Kyrstin Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing that I liked about this book is that it is in both English and Spanish. Otherwise, it’s slow and boring.

[Mckinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In English and Spanish.