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Wittenstein, Barry

The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement

48 pp. | Simon/Wiseman | March, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781534480834 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 9781534480841 $10.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. What kind of spark is needed to ignite a global movement? In the case of the Earth Day Movement, it was quite literally sparks from a railcar landing in the heavily polluted and quite flammable Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. "KABOOM!" While not the first time the river had caught fire, this time, as Wittenstein's enlightening text shows, residents had had enough. Spurred on by the activism of the 1960s, they demanded action to clean up the river, and by extension the planet. While young readers may take for granted the concept of environmentalism, the book does an excellent job depicting the nascent moments of the movement that led to the first Earth Day celebration, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, and legislation such as the Clean Water Act. Hartland's playful gouache paintings shine, reflecting a child's perspective on the events and conveying their emotional significance and ramifications. Back matter consists of a detailed author's note providing additional historical details; a timeline of the environmental movement; a bibliography; and a list of resources where readers can learn more about the Cuyahoga River Fire of 1969, Earth Day, and more about protecting our planet.
Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

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