Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer Book

3 STARS for the story. 4 STARS for overall presentation.

I had high hopes for this, having read and loved some of Ray's other picturebook biographies (especially To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda and Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw) and I must say I was disappointed by this one. There is such a lot covered here--starting with Powell's childhood to his time serving in the Civil War--that it takes awhile to get to the Colorado River aspect. Of course, it all builds to show how and why Powell was so interested in the natural world (his tutor when he was a boy was very interested in nature--and Powell had to be tutored because he was bullied by kids at the public school due to his family's beliefs on abolitionism, etc.) and how he came to possess the courage and fortitude to make the journey (his arm had to be amputated after a battle in the Civil War; he was given permission to go home after that, but he wanted to stay and fight for abolition of slavery). Powell was an amazing man and there is a great story to be told from his life, but somehow this telling just didn't really draw me in or create the emotional resonance of Ray's other biographies. Still, it's a worthwhile story and the Author's Note really got me--all about how Powell wanted to have conservation of our wild lands, and strive for integration of pioneers with the natural order of things, and with the native peoples. Ye-ah, he was pretty darn disappointed in how the government at large handled things. As a tragic bit of irony, one of the most beautiful sections of the Colorado River that Powell navigated is now but a tame stream thanks to the big dam that was put in in the 1960s. Oh, and what did they name the lake created by the dam? Lake Powell! (I just wanted to cry when I read that!) There's an extensive timeline of his life, and bibliography in the back, too. I also think this would be a great book to share with children if they have a disability to show that they can still accomplish great things!