The River Is My Ocean

A grandmother and granddaughter share a magical trip to the Hudson River affirming intergenerational love and the power of water in this heart-song of a picture book.

Every day, Abuela misses the ocean in Puerto Rico. But on Saturdays, when the sun is high, Abuela takes her granddaughter on a walk down the hill in Harlem to Twelfth Avenue, to a place that is just as magical: the Hudson River.

There, they visit Yamaya, mermaids that invoke child-like wonder and hold onto the memory of all who have passed through their waters. Together, Abuela, her granddaughter, and the spirits of ancient religion and familial love celebrate the river that brought millions of new Americans to its shores through the generations.

Rio Cortez is the New York Times bestselling author of picture book The ABCs of Black History and adult poetry collection Golden Ax, which was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award in poetry and the PEN Open Book Award. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, she now lives, writes, and works in Harlem, New York.

Ashleigh Corrin is an award-winning children’s book illustrator. Her debut, Layla’s Happiness written by Mariahdessa Ekere Tallie, received the 2020 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award, as well as the Writer Honor. She also illustrated The River Is My Ocean by Rio Cortez. Her appreciation for philanthropic work and acts of service shaped her dream of creating art to uplift and inspire youth and the young at heart. Ashleigh lives in Virginia with her daughter and husband. More of her work can be viewed at AshleighCorrin.com or on Instagram @Ashleigh_Corrin.