Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe

by Vera B. Williams

Follow the red canoe from page to page as it journeys down river carrying the family on a camping tour. It's the next best thing to paddling it yourself.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Adventure, Nature, Travel

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1981

About the author

Graduate of Black Mountain College, North Carolina, where she majored in graphic art. In her own words, she has "done graphic art, school teaching, children-raising [she has two daughters and a son], has run a bakery and been a cook in schools and restaurants." (from back flap of book)

Vera B. Williams is the winner of the 2009 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature.

You can read much more about this author here or here

Reviews

[Emily]

i kind of assume that any book i read in childhood and randomly refer to years and years after i last thought of it is automatically awesome. THIS book is awesome. i want to do this. only in kayaks.

[Rod Brown]

The title is the book. A family takes a recreational canoe ride down a river and camps for a couple of nights.

Oh, so?

[Cindi]

I LOVED this little book. The colored pencil drawings were a fresh change in illustrations and the whole idea of a canoe trip really got me thinking about planning a backcountry trip with the whole family.

[Jennifer Kendall]

A classic picture book about a river trip that all started with the purchase of a red canoe. Sweet story told from the perspective of a young boy. It made me want to spend time in nature and have my own canoe trip.

[Danette]

From a child's perspective it's the best camping trip ever!
From a parent's perspective it's a lot of work but a joy to give your children the experience.

[Catherine]

liked better than the other book I read by this author. had nice illustrations & a pleasant story

[Amy]

A child sees a red canoe for sale. The family buys it and the child, Mom, Aunt Rosie, and cousin Sam also plan to take a canoe trip on the river. They map out the trip and make plans, purchasing all of the supplies they will need on their trip (which you can see in an illustration). Then the child chronicles the family's trip and adventures down the river. The colored pencil illustrations are detailed. Vera Williams frequently uses maps and diagrams to give the reader a clear sense of their trip's path and what they experienced on the way. As the trip goes on the child explains how they traverse a waterfall, wash dishes, cook along the river, the fish and other wildlife seen, and describes other adventures experienced. This story reads smoothly but also has lots of details that you can learn or skip over, such as reading how to tie "two half hitches" (to secure the canoe?), cook dumplings and fruit stew, and set up a tent. Really informative and interesting book that just might make you want to go on your own canoeing or camping trip.

[Briana Bencivenga]

1. Awards: n/a
2. Appropriate grade level: Preschool-3rd grade
3. Original Summary: Throughout each page, the red canoe is floating through the river. The family is enjoying a camping trip together while including the experience of having a successful camping trip.
4. Original Review: This book is great for seeing a child’s perspective of a camping trip. The use of maps within the illustrations creates a unique bit of knowledge for the reader in terms of where the family is during their trip.
5. 2-3 in class uses: This book can be used for talking about ways of living, camping, and direction.

[Becky Galambos]

I found this book at a garage sale and immediately grabbed it. I remembered it from the long ago days on Reading Rainbow and when I taught preschool but never owned a copy until now. I've got small people in my life again and am collecting the books I loved as a kid for them. Two kids, their mom and Aunt Rosie buy a used canoe and take their first trip in it.

[Mandi]

With neat colored pencil drawings, the story describes a 3 day adventure that made me want to buy a canoe 🙂

[Yamile Méndez]

Such a fun book!

[Linda Klager]

A very educational book about two children who want to buy a red canoe and go on a 3 day trip. Two female adults go on this trip with the children.

[Adele]

Recommended to anyone who likes really detailed picture books. One picture actually shows step by step how to tie a double half-hitch. There is a recipe for dumplings and stewed fruit cooked over a campfire. I like that the adults on the canoe trip are two women and they are presented as experienced, knowledgeable, and skillful. I like that the kids have a wonderful time even though the weather doesn't always cooperate. I like that there is a map (no dog, but they intelligently leave the cat at home at least). Not as much personality as Stringbean's Trip to the Shining Sea: A Picture Book About Brothers, a Dog, and Postcards from a Road Trip Across America for Kids (Ages 4-8) but still enjoyable.

[Christie Kaaland]

A unique adventure tale told from the point of view of a child whose mother and aunt have planned a canoe camping trip down a river they had previously canoed in their childhood. From the arrangement and gathering of all the gear, to mapping the way, to remembering and warning of dangers on the river, the family of 4 take a memorable trip down a windy river. The small image, pastel illustrations set the tone a little lighter in this fun picture book adventure.

[Cheryl]

Even though name-brand author and a Reading Rainbow book, this seems lesser-known. My theory? Very few parents want their kids to beg to go on a similar canoe trip! I've enjoyed tent camping, and day-trip canoeing, yet reading about this adventure just exhausts me.

[Madelyn Melton]

It's a sweet story and very family-oriented, but I think the targeted age range should be higher, since there is a lot of reading in this book than most standard picture books. It may, however, be a fine book to read over the course of a few days or so.

[Alexandria Baker]

Great story with wonderful drawings, good information for a canoeing trip.

[Elizabeth]

AR 3.5

[Bonnie]

I love this simple book about a 3 day adventure on a river. I used to read it to my kids.

[Y.Poston]

camping trip on a red canoe in detail

[Helen]

This story will make lots of kids eager to take a canoe trip! Good details, kid oriented!

[Kristiana]

My 6yo absolutely loved this and pretended she was on a canoe trip the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t find it quite as fascinating, but it really inspired her creativity so 5 stars it is!

[Vicki]

4.5 stars. I like the book very much and prefer to read the actual book in hand as you get the experience of seeing the illustrations as you follow the canoe down the river.

[Avid Reader]

Absolutely nothing happened, except for what the title said.

[Helen]

I have a list of my favorite children's books and I would rate this as one of the top five.

Each page takes you on a journey from the purchase of the red canoe down a river and on a camping tour. The book blurb says: "It's the next best thing to paddling it yourself." And it really is.

[Kat B.]

I loved "A Chair for my Mother," and read it hundreds of times when I was little. This is an earlier work and has less polished illustrations. I liked the little story of two women and two boys canoeing down a river. Super simple. Pretty sweet.

[Meghan]

I have often thought about this book when I'm on a river as an adult. It's a fabulous travel story for a kid. It reads aloud well, but all the details (such as the apricot stew recipe) are fun for slightly older readers to puzzle out on their own.

[Fjóla]

Fun book about an overnight trip down a river. Presented sort of as a child's school report, with cute colored pencil illustrations. Has some basic info about camping preparation and wilderness skills, might inspire you to start planning a trip.

[Kristina]

This book is about a family camping trip where they go canoeing. The family has decided to spend three nights out by this river. This will give them plenty of time to explore what the river has to offer. Media: Colored Pencil

[Lisbeth Solberg]

Wonderful detail, including a cat with extra toes. And yes, this book IS awesome.