A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection - Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2024 - ALA Notable Children's Book for 2024 - American Meteorological Society - LOUIS J. BATTAN AUTHOR'S AWARD (K-12) - SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner, 2024 - 2023 PubWest Book Design Gold Winner - Children's Picture Book - Publisher's Weekly Starred Review   A RIVER OF DUST tells the story of dust's journey as it soars above the broad landscapes of North Africa, spills over the Atlantic, and settles in the Amazon rainforest. Its tiny particles deliver precious cargo that is key to the health of the Amazon, the Atlantic, and our planet. Dust's story is a lyrical ode to the vital roles that even the smallest among us can play, and as a story of separation and reconnection, it is STEM with a beating heart. I am dust, the dust of North Africa. I connect continents.   The dust of the Sahel—a ribbon of land between the Sahara and the savannah—lifts with the harmattan wind each winter season. But this is not just any dust. The Sahel's dust will mix with dust from the Sahara and travel thousands of miles westward, across the African continent and the Atlantic Ocean, to reunite with its unforgotten home deep in the Amazon basin.   Told from the perspective of dust, A River of Dust takes readers on a journey through vibrantly illustrated landscapes, celebrating the power and wonder of Earth's ecosystems, and showing how these tiny particles are key to the health of our planet. It is a lyrical ode to global connection and to the vital roles that even the smallest among us can play. GLOBAL CONNECTION: Just like This Is How We Do It , this book shows how we are all interdependent on this tiny blue marble hurtling through space.  SMALL PARTICLES, MIGHTY IMPACT: This powerful story of the Sahel's very necessary contribution to the world demonstrates how one of the driest places on earth nourishes one of the wettest. And if dust has such a far-reaching effect, readers can imagine how important their own impact could be on the world around them. EDUCATIONAL TOOL: With strong STEM themes, this book offers plenty of ideas to incorporate into lesson plans, from units on geography and environmental science, particularly lessons on the rainforest, global warming, and interconnected ecosystems. Educator guides can be found at the author's website. SOOTHING BEDTIME REASSURANCE: Poetic and yearning, this picture book's gentle message reassures readers that they can remain connected with loved ones despite the distance that may separate them. LUSH ART: Depicting vivid landscapes, from the deserts of Africa to the rainforests of the Amazon, illustrator Eugenia Mello brings this lyrical picture book to life. The gold spattering of foil dust on the jacket makes this cover glow! QUESTIONS FOR CURIOUS MINDS: Meticulously researched information included at the back of the book provides further explananation and compelling scientific facts for curious readers and supplemental information for teachers. Did you know that an average of 700,000 semi trucks worth of dust makes the journey each year? That there are more trees in the Amazon than there are stars in the Milky Way Galaxy? That NASA satellites have been measuring the dust for over 15 years? That the continents may rejoin about 250 million years from now? Perfect for: Resource for teachers and librarians seeking books about nature, the earth, and ecology for kids - Parents looking for non-fiction picture books and science books for children - A beautiful environmental picture book and lyrical story for anyone interested in learning about ecosystems and the environment - Fans of Over and Under the Rainforest , Over and Under the Pond , and other popular nature books for young readers A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection American Meteorological Society - LOUIS J. BATTAN AUTHOR'S AWARD (K-12) Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2024 edition ALA Notable Children's Book for 2024 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner 2024 Garden State Children's Book Award List (NJLA) "...highlighting the interconnections in the natural world... An artistic introduction to a compelling sedimentary journey." — Kirkus Reviews "The regal tone of the direct address captures the awe-inspiring beauty of big and small elements of each ecosystem, and the combination of formality and facts makes the text as informative as it is reverent. Page composition moves the eye forward, capturing the dust's constant movement as painterly strokes and textures blend the various scenes, never interrupting the dust's path. White specks and spots swirl into the textured coats of running antelope; the ocean spray flies up with gulls and a breaching whale; softly dappled clouds contrast with parrots' bright red and blue feathers, all creating a captivating sense of infinite connections. This makes an obvious complement to a curriculum unit on ecosystems an