Big Water is Coming! is a richly imagined and visually striking children's book that brings to life one of the most dramatic geological events in North America: the Ice Age Floods of Glacial Lake Missoula. Drawing inspiration from decades of scientific research and personal explorations along the "Trail of the Floods," the author creates a blend of fact, legend, and storytelling that invites readers to step back fifteen thousand years into a world shared by Columbian mammoths, saber-tooth cats, short-faced bears, bison, horses, antelope, and the mighty condor.
The narrative begins with the natural inevitability of water's return to sea level. Through descriptive scenes, the breaking of an immense ice dam is set in motion - an event that unleashes a torrent of water, ice, rock, and debris. The storytelling vividly imagines what it might have been like for the animals who inhabited the valleys, plateaus, and gorges of what is now the Pacific Northwest. Readers witness the fear, scramble, and resilience of prehistoric creatures as they attempt to escape the sudden wall of water surging through basins and canyons.
Guiding the perspective is Condor, a recurring figure who soars overhead, witnessing both chaos and survival. Through Condor's watchful eyes, we see how instinct, sound, and shared stories passed down through generations of animals play a role in survival. Horses make daring climbs to the safety of Horse Heaven Hills. Bears cling to icebergs, riding the churning floodwaters through Wallula Gap toward the sea. Mammoths, antelope, and cats make desperate attempts to flee, some successful and others swept away by forces too powerful to resist.
As the waters carve new paths through the Columbia River Gorge and flood the Pasco and Portland basins, readers also gain an appreciation for how landscapes are transformed. Valleys become temporary lakes hundreds of feet deep. Rocks the size of houses are transported and dropped in new places. Soils from distant mountains are carried downstream to enrich valleys that today support forests, farms, and cities.
Interwoven with the adventure is a scientific backstory. The book acknowledges J. Harlen Bretz, the geologist who, nearly a century ago, challenged conventional thinking by suggesting that catastrophic floods shaped the "channeled scablands" of eastern Washington. His persistence and eventual vindication show young readers how science often requires imagination, patience, and courage.
The storytelling balances awe and education. Children encounter the majesty of prehistoric animals while also learning the natural principles of water, erosion, and glacial change. The prose is complemented by vivid illustrations that portray sweeping floods, dramatic skies, and animals in motion - images that invite lingering and discovery on every page.
Ultimately, Big Water is Coming! is more than a retelling of scientific theory; it is a celebration of curiosity and resilience. It connects modern readers to the deep history of the land, reminding us that the valleys, rivers, and hills we know today were once scenes of tremendous upheaval. By blending scientific wonder with imaginative storytelling, the book makes the Ice Age Floods accessible and unforgettable for children and adults alike.
Whether used in classrooms, family reading, or as a spark for outdoor exploration, this book inspires readers to see landscapes not as static backdrops but as dynamic, ever-changing forces shaped by time, water, and imagination.
外文書商品之書封，為出版社提供之樣本。實際出貨商品，以出版社所提供之現有版本為主。部份書籍，因出版社供應狀況特殊，匯率將依實際狀況做調整。
無庫存之商品，在您完成訂單程序之後，將以空運的方式為你下單調貨。為了縮短等待的時間，建議您將外文書與其他商品分開下單，以獲得最快的取貨速度，平均調貨時間為1~2個月。
為了保護您的權益，「三民網路書店」提供會員七日商品鑑賞期(收到商品為起始日)。
若要辦理退貨，請在商品鑑賞期內寄回，且商品必須是全新狀態與完整包裝(商品、附件、發票、隨貨贈品等)否則恕不接受退貨。
