The Bear Went Over the Mountain

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Name: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Author: Iza Trapani
ISBN: 9781607342038

by Iza Trapani

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Overview

Climb on board with this adorable family of bumbling bears as they row, row, row their boat into a merry adventure.

So, hold on to your hats and get ready to laugh as these irresistible characters rock, bash, and splash their way into your heart.

Follows a family of bears on a fun-filled outing as their gentle boat ride down the stream turns into a fast-paced adventure.

About the Author, Iza Trapani

Iza Trapani was born in Warsaw, Poland, where she lived until she was seven years old. Although her family of six lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, she has fond memories of that time, when her parents fostered a life-long appreciation for books, art, and music. Iza learned to read before she started school and was always encouraged to draw, even though she would take over the entire dining table with her papers and pencils.

When Iza was seven, her mother traveled to America to visit her sister. At the time, whole families were not allowed to leave Communist Poland, so Iza's mother took her, the youngest. Their visit turned into a permanent stay. Her mother remarried and hoped to bring Iza's brother and sister to the United States, but tragically, she died too soon. Iza moved to a children's home in Lodi, New Jersey, where she stayed until she was 16. During this time, Iza's father in Poland also passed away. It wasn't until after she married and became a U.S. citizen that Iza felt she could travel to Poland without fear of deportation. Twenty-five years passed before she was reunited with her siblings.

Over the years, Iza continued to draw and paint. She wanted more than anything to create children's picture books. Crossing paths with a turtle in the woods inspired her first book - What Am I? An Animal Guessing Game. Since then Iza has written and illustrated several books for children including the best-selling Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Baa Baa Black Sheep. Inspired by nature, children and animals, Iza has an endless wellspring of stories and ideas to share with young readers.

Iza becomes engrossed in her work and each page shows the love and humor she feels for her stories and characters. She was once told that to be a good author a writer must know CPR - concise, precise, and rounded. In her picture books the illustrations play an integral part in enhancing and clarifying the text. It's a wonderful union of art and story with a fresh and interesting perspective.

Iza lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her husband on their farm in a house that they designed. She has worked very hard for her success and feels blessed by the warm reception her books have received by readers young and old.

Iza was honored with the Rip Van Winkle Award in 2003. This award is presented by the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern New York for outstanding contributions to children's literature by an author/illustrator from the seven county SLMSSENY area.

"Known for her beatuiful illustrations and adaptations of classic nurnsery rhymes and stories, Ms. Trapani has a large body of work that delights both children and adults. With titles such as Shoo Fly, Row Row Row Your Boat, The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, she brings to life the stories we fell in love with."

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Editorials

Library Journal

PreS-Gr-1-Clever additional verses make this classic song splendidly unique. With soft watercolors, Trapani depicts a cuddly bear family and pet pup on a boat excursion. They start off leisurely in bright sunshine but soon encounter fallen oars, rapids, and a beaver dam. Stopping for a picnic lunch, they enjoy their meal with all of the forest animals who are "Chomping, snacking, slurping, smacking/What a noisy bunch!" Returning to the boat, they run into bad weather and hurry back to shore. "Raining, hailing, wind is wailing/Hear the thunder roar!" Children will enjoy the rhyming, alliterative language energized by strings of gerunds. Every original verse perfectly matches the traditional melody, and each picture illustrates the action with warmth, excitement, and humor. The music with all of the verses is printed on the last page. Trapani has transformed a simple little song into a delightful adventure.-Jackie Hechtkopf, University of Maryland, College Park Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Clever additional verses make this classic song splendidly unique. With soft watercolors, Trapani depicts a cuddly bear family and pet pup on a boat excursion. They start off leisurely in bright sunshine but soon encounter fallen oars, rapids, and a beaver dam. Stopping for a picnic lunch, they enjoy their meal with all of the forest animals who are Chomping, snacking, slurping, smacking/What a noisy bunch! Returning to the boat, they run into bad weather and hurry back to shore. Raining, hailing, wind is wailing/ Hear the thunder roar! Children will enjoy the rhyming, alliterative language energized by strings of gerunds. Every original verse perfectly matches the traditional melody, and each picture illustrates the action with warmth, excitement, and humor. The music with all of the verses is printed on the last page. Trapani has transformed a simple little song into a delightful adventure. Jackie Hechtkopf.