With direct language and colorful paintings, Debby Atwell relates the changes that occur through the centuries along a riverbank, from the arrival of the first humans to the coming of the first settlers, from the industrial revolution to the present day. As the river flows the country grows and progresses along its banks-sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. When overuse and carelessness finally take their toll, the river's natural beauty and resources are compromised. Can the river thrive permeated by pollution and waste? Travel downstream through time as Atwell's evocative text and narrative paintings enliven the beauty and spirit of the river, revealing life as it was and telling how it has evolved.