River Beds ─ Sleeping in the World's Rivers

This sequel to the award-winning Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean (2007 Teacher's Choice & 2005 Mom's Choice) takes readers on an around-the-world boat ride to learn how mammals sleep in or around ten major rivers of the world on all continents except Antarctica.

Gail Langer Karwoski (Water Beds, River Beds, and Julie the Rockhound) is an award-winning children’s book writer. In addition to Julie the Rockhound and Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean (Mom’s Choice Best Children’s Picture Book Author for 2005), published by Sylvan Dell, Gail has written six other books for young readers including: Tsumani: The True Story of an April Fool’s Day Disaster and Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906. Before becoming a full time author, Gail taught in Georgia public schools. She frequently returns to schools as a visiting author. Gail married a rockhound. On their honeymoon, they hiked through lush western forests and stark “forests” of petrified wood. They dove into foamy aquamarine waves in the Pacific Ocean and dug into crumbly turquoise deposits in the Southwestern desert. Since then, they’ve gone “treasure hunting” for geodes, fossils, and crystals. At the schools where she taught, her classroom was famous because of the “rock box.” Now, as owners of a quartz deposit in South Carolina where visitors can try their luck at digging for crystals, Gail and her husband have watched hundreds of people – both young and old – delight in finding sparkly quartz crystals. She wrote Julie the Rockhound to share this delight in our earth’s treasures with children and their parents. Gail lives near the University of Georgia with her husband, two daughters, and three bossy cats.Connie McLennan has been a successful freelance artist for almost 25 years since attending Academy of Art College in San Francisco. In addition to illustrating River Beds: Sleeping in the World’s Rivers, The Rainforest Grew All Around (watercolor and acrylic), Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean (oil) and Octavia and Her Purple Ink Cloud (watercolor) for Sylvan Dell Publishing, she also illustrated The Wishing Tree and Domitila. Connie has illustrated numerous textbooks, and has provided illustrations for children's books and magazines for Harcourt, Holt Reinhart & Winston, Scott Foresman, Scholastic and Weekly Reader. In addition to her various illustrations, Connie has done numerous advertising projects. Connie lives with her husband and teenage son in northern California.