I Talk Like a River - Jordan Scott

Author: Jordan Scott

Illustrator: Sydney Smith

Genre: Children's Picture Book, Poetry

Rating: 4 stars.

A beautiful story-in-verse about a boy who “talks like a river”.

Written in first person, the story is narrated by a little boy who can’t pronounce some letters. They get stuck at the back of his throat, they grow roots inside his mouth, they just make him mumble instead of speak. This affects him a lot and he withdraws from his friends and sits at the back of his class. However, one day, his dad takes him out to the river and says, “You talk like the river.” Pondering over this makes the boy realise how the mighty river also struggles through its path at times. This connection with nature gives him tremendous strength to accept himself.

I liked how the book established a parallel between two seemingly unrelated ideas. The angst of the little boy comes out so clearly through the words and you feel for him as he struggles to push out the words from his mouth. The book doesn’t end with a miraculous solution but with a sense of hope.

The author’s note at the end reveals his own experience with stuttering and how his dad had correlated the communication issue with the river’s movements. This note is heartfelt and while kids might not understand it, adults ought to read it.

The illustrations are in water-colour style, apt for a book with the river as a central idea. The sketches don’t pop out of the page and are somewhat dark-hued. But they suit the tone of the story well. I am not sure if little readers would enjoy the slightly blurry effect on a few pages but those who appreciate art will see the beauty of the pages.

This would make a wonderful book for any child who feels he/she/they are alone in the problem of stuttering and are looking for a ray of hope. The official age range is 3-7 years but there are a few difficult words in the content so reading assistance will be required.

4 stars.