Ponti, Claude. River, The. Claude Ponti, Illus. Translated from the French by Margot Kerlidou and Alyson Waters. Elsewhere, 03/2026. [52]pp. Picture Book. Trade $20. 978-1-962770-47-7. GRADES 1–3. LOW ADDITIONAL.
On the river Longo lies two floating villages – the Oolongs in one and the Kukichas in the other. Each culture expects to die and be reborn as the next newborn, often choosing a new gender. Thus, Lu Cha and Ali Roo are raised differently than their gender at birth – which does not seem to affect their lives or those around them. Life is carefree until a monster comes and threatens the parents, so Lu Cha and Ali Roo band together to defeat the monster, realize their true selves, and gain some of their former memories. Colorful, whimsical illustrations provide clues to the other world names of the villagers, plants, and animals. The “people” remind this reviewer of the stub nosed Arthur from Marc Brown’s books and TV series, with brown, robe-like clothes and pointy ears on top of their heads. While possibly useful for those exploring gender, the overall story felt confusing, with many unknown words, plants, strange references, and too many subplots to keep track of.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library