To Climb a Waterfall

by Jean Craighead George

Luminous oil paintings and an evocative text take young readers on an unforgettable journey through the wonders of nature as they make their way on a guided tour of the Hudson River Valley's Kaaterskill Falls.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 1995

About the author

Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.

The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."

Reviews

[Monique]

Illustrated by Thomas Locker. 32 pages.
Lost words and wanderlust.

[Libby Hill]

Inspired by the author’s many hikes to Kaaterskill Falls in New York state, this book follows one girl’s journey to the top of the double-tiered waterfall.

My boys immediately started planning a fishing trip to this destination, even before we finished the book. They were bummed to realize how far it would be from us in reality.

The illustrations left a lot up to the imagination. This would have been fine for anyone very familiar with the destination but I found myself wishing there was more, close up renderings for the highly specific specimen mentioned. There were a couple spreads that were very breathtaking, however, and showcased the scale and grandeur of Kaaterskill Falls beautifully.

So thankful for a book that helped us connect to nature when my kids weren’t feeling well and we needed to stay indoors more than our usual liking.

[Sasha]

This felt like if Deepak Chopra and David Attenborough got together to pen a children's book, then hired a really badass illustrator who made every page a Bierstadt still. Gorgeous, stirring, honest, and very important. I felt like a little kid again, wading through Congdon Creek in Duluth, Minnesota, looking for agates and watching all the painters get set up with their canvases. I loved George's "My Side of the Mountain" and "Julie of the Wolves" growing up, so it is nice to see her successfully parlay those naturalistic talents and observations into an unputdownable illustrated book for a younger audience.

[Lacy | literary_lacy]

This was my favorite book when I was younger, and I finally got my own copy! My daughter enjoyed this book, and it was nice reading it again after so much time! This book is visually beautiful, and would be better for older kids that will appreciate the illustrations.

[Megan Bratton]

Beautiful imagery throughout the book. Amazing illustrations.

[Amanda Rood]

This book has gorgeous illustrations and the story is pretty basic for children.