Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

"We are now ready to start our way down the Great Unknown..."

DOWN THE COLORADO
John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
by Deborah Kogan Ray
Frances Foster Books
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007

John Wesley Powell's father wanted his son to become a minister like himself, but enraptured by shells and rivers, rocks and caverns, and other wonders of the natural world, he was determined to follow the path of science. Even after losing his right arm during the Civil War, he braved treacherous rapids and perilous waterfalls to lead the first scientific expedition down the Colorado River.

With breathtaking illustrations and excerpts from Powell's own journals, Deborah Kogan Ray brings to vivid life the exploits and explorations of one of America's greatest conservationist heroes.

bald eagle

awards and reviews

2008 James Madison Honor Award: American History for Children

2008 Book of the Year: State of Arizona Literacy Project. Selected by Governor Janet Napolitano. Every fourth grade student in the state (100,000) will receive a copy of Down the Colorado through this program.

2008 Notable Book for Children: American Library Association (ALA)

2008 Notable Social Studies Trade Book: National Council for the Social Studies and Children's Book Council (NCSS-CBC)

illustrations from the book

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Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

Down the Colorado - Written and Illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray