The River Is My Ocean

by Rio Cortez, Ashleigh Corrin (Illustrator)

Overview

A grandmother and granddaughter share a magical trip to the Hudson River affirming intergenerational love and the power of water in this heart-song of a picture book.

Every day, Abuela misses the ocean in Puerto Rico. But on Saturdays, when the sun is high, Abuela takes her granddaughter on a walk down the hill in Harlem to Twelfth Avenue, to a place that is just as magical: the Hudson River.

There, they visit Yamaya, mermaids that invoke child-like wonder and hold onto the memory of all who have passed through their waters. Together, Abuela, her granddaughter, and the spirits of ancient religion and familial love celebrate the river that brought millions of new Americans to its shores through the generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665912587
Publisher:	Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rio Cortez is the New York Times bestselling author of picture book The ABCs of Black History and adult poetry collection Golden Ax, which was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award in poetry and the PEN Open Book Award. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, she now lives, writes, and works in Harlem, New York.

Ashleigh Corrin is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. Her debut, Layla’s Happiness written by Mariahdessa Ekere Tallie, received the 2020 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award, as well as the Writer Honor. She also illustrated The River Is My Ocean by Rio Cortez. Her appreciation for philanthropic work and acts of service shaped her dream of creating art to uplift and inspire youth and the young at heart. Ashleigh lives in Virginia with her daughter and husband. More of her work can be viewed at AshleighCorrin.com or on Instagram @Ashleigh_Corrin.

Editorial Reviews

05/20/2024

While their abuela longs for the sea, a child narrator expresses love for the Hudson River—“the most beautiful river in the entire world”—in this intergenerational story with diasporic themes. Every Saturday, the Afro-Caribbean-cued duo merrily walk to the river to thank Yamaya, the mother of oceans and rivers, who’s portrayed as a mermaid. By the water’s edge, the child ruminates via contemplative prose from Cortez (The ABCs of Black History), “When I look at the Hudson, sometimes I feel quiet. Other times, I feel curious about all kinds of things. Or happy.” Scribbly digital illustrations in fresh hues by Corrin (Layla’s Happiness) convey the joy of the weekly ritual, while block lettering occasionally emphasizes phrases rendered in English and Spanish. En route home, a tender hug between the child and Abuela rounds out this gratitude-focused story. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note concludes. Publishing simultaneously in English and Spanish. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. Illustrator’s agent: Nicole Geiger, Full Circle Literary. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

07/01/2024

K-Gr 3—A sweet yet simple story told from a child's perspective in her neighborhood, and an ode to the Hudson River in New York City. This book details a young girl's Saturday walk to visit the river with her grandma. Her abuela tells her all about the ocean that she loves and misses so much. To the young Latinx girl, the river is her ocean. "My abuela says she misses the sea every day. I know the sea must be powerful, because the way abuela talks about it, sometimes I miss it too." On their walk, they pass a piragua (shaved ice) cart and can't pass up a coconut flavored delight. As they continue on their journey down their block, the little girl reflects on how the river makes her feel: quiet, curious, and sometimes many feelings all at once. Then, Abuela brings up Yemaya, the goddess of the oceans and rivers, who looks similar to a mermaid. Back notes offer more information on Yemaya. Created in Photoshop, beautiful pastel colored illustrations fill every page. VERDICT For fans of Last Stop on Market Street, this book is sure to delight younger readers and is nice addition to library shelves that lends itself to further discussion of gods and goddesses in mythology.—Tracy Cronce

School Library Journal

2024-05-17
Connections to ancestors and cultural identity flow when a young Afro-Latine New Yorker bonds with her grandma.

The narrator, who’s brown-skinned with black hair braided in cornrows, loves spending time with brown-skinned Abuela, who used to live by the sea and misses it dearly. On Saturdays they walk down from Harlem toward Twelfth Avenue to the Hudson River. While the girl has never lived by the sea, she experiences a range of strong emotions when she’s near the river: quiet, curious, happy, and, sometimes, a mix of feelings. Abuela explains that they visit the Hudson to express gratitude to Yemaya, a Yoruba goddess of motherhood and the sea. Imagining Yemaya as a brown-skinned mermaid with a blue tail, the child thanks the river. As Abuela and the child walk home, the love between them, and their affection for the river, is palpable. An author’s note adds more information about Yemaya, who became associated with the ocean following the Middle Passage, and reminisces about her own Puerto Rican grandmother. Sweet, simple prose brimming with emotion celebrates cultural heritage and the connection between generations, while vivid, childlike illustrations capture the warmth of family moments. Both text and art home in on details of the bustling city, from the piragua cart the child passes to the honking of cars; it’s a potent reminder that young urbanites can forge bonds with nature, too.

A heartfelt narrative steeped in love and tradition. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews