The following video offers an excellent walkthrough for getting your environment up and running with React and learning the basics.
This video series may be worth looking into through Safari Books online. The pace is quick but it shows you the whole React lifecycle. You can set up a one-month free trial or if you have a Baltimore library card the account may be free.
The following book is excellent for learning React but importantly, it starts with the latest additions to Javascript as part of Es6 (Object constructors, arrow functions, and more.)