Brief Description: Minn, a snapping turtle, travels down the Mississippi River observing people and wildlife, with historical and natural details.
Geographical Setting: Baton Rouge, Gulf of Mexico, Itasca State Park, Lake Pepin, Louisiana, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi River, Missouri, Natchez, New Orleans, North America, Oceans of the World, St. Louis, St. Paul, United States, Vicksburg
Historical Era: 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century
Date Range: 1539-1950
Keywords: Animals, Cahokia, Cajuns, Chippewa, Early American Industry, Fort Snelling, Hernando de Soto, Louis Jolliet, Mound Builders, Native Americans, Natural History, New Madrid Earthquake, Pere Marquette, Red River Carts, Robert de LaSalle, Ships and Boats, snapping turtle, St. Anthony Falls
Original Publication: 1951
Suitable for Grades: 3-7th
Target Audience: Picture Book, Middle Grade
Librarian's Review
Minn, a snapping turtle born in the Mississippi headwaters in Itasca State Park in Northern Minnesota, floats downstream all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Learn about the biology of turtles, the ecology of the riparian systems along the river, the Europeans who discovered the river, and history of the men who have made their homes near the river. The riverbed is described as a “museum” of man-made detritus. The delightfully detailed illustrations and maps drawn by the author accompany an encyclopedic wealth of information. Although this is a picture book, the complex language comprising the text is best read aloud by an adult.