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“A waterfall is any stream of water descending suddenly from a higher to a lower level. If the volume of water is small, it is called a cascade; if large, it is called a cataract.

Waterfalls are usually formed when rivers flow from an area of resistant (hard) rock to an area that can be more easily eroded. The softer rock downstream is gradually worn down by stream erosion. This creates a ledge or cliff down which the river must flow to continue its course. Waterfalls are also found where glaciers have dug river valleys deeper than their tributaries or in places where a river channel was raised or lowered.”

Source: Waterfalls. (2008). (D. Jacobson, Rev.). The New Book of Knowledge®. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from Grolier Online http://nbk.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=a2031280-h

For more information, here are some recommended library books on waterfalls:

Waterfalls by Dana Meachen Rau
Publisher: Tarrytown, N.Y. : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, c2008
Series Title: Bookworms. Wonders of nature
Summary: Provides a basic introduction to waterfalls, including geographical information and how they are formed.
Call No.: J P 551.48 RAU

Victoria Falls : one of the world’s most spectacular waterfalls by Anna Rebus
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Weigl Publishers, c2007
Summary: Examines the history of the Victoria Falls, the world’s largest waterfalls.
Call No.: J 916.891 REB

The highest waterfall by Stuart A. Kallen
Publisher: San Diego, Calif. : KidHaven Press, c2004
Series Title: Extreme places
Call No.: J 987 KAL

Waterfalls : nature’s thundering splendor by Jenny Wood
Publisher: Milwaukee : G. Stevens Children’s Books, 1991
Series Title: Wonderworks of nature
Summary: Describes the formation of waterfalls, the life that fast-flowing rivers support, and the use of falling water for hydroelectricity.
Call No.: J 551.48 WOO

You can also visit these websites for more information on waterfalls:

1) http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownloadFile.asp?file=21604
In this website, graphics are used to show you how the river, moving along a steep incline, will start to erode away the softer rock on the bedrock. The bed of the river gets steeper as the water carries the softer rock downstream, and eventually the flow of water at this point becomes steep enough to be considered a waterfall.
2) http://geography.howstuffworks.com/terms-and-associations/waterfall.htm
This article provides a basic explanation how waterfalls form and the types of waterfalls in the world.

All websites were last accessed on 31 October 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use. All book summaries were taken from the book descriptions. All images were extracted from www.amazon.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Answered by Ms Goh Mei Ming
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

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