Over the River and Through the Wood [Hardcover]

Lydia Marie Child (Author), David Catrow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up

In this hilarious modern spoof of a favorite holiday song, the trip to Grandfather's house is no peaceful sleigh ride!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like a Mad magazine satire in both illustration style and intent, this urban take on Child's pastoral ditty pokes fun at tradition. Catrow's (She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!) trip to Grandfather's house involves a van with uptight parents, crying kids and a baby who escapes into the lavish Macy's parade. The baby's mishaps are amusing, but, like all satire, the joke depends on the audience's familiarity with the original work. Young children will fare better with Nadine Bernard Westcott's softer interpretation or Christopher Manson's reverent version (both 1993); this one is for grade-school sophisticates. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 6?Catrow brings new meaning to the classic words and pastoral images usually connected with Child's poem, written in 1844. In this modern adaptation, two parents, three children, and a cat travel in a minivan through a snowstorm, traffic jam, and a Thanksgiving Day parade to grandfather's house. After leaning out of the car window to get a closer look at a horse, the baby joins the parade by flying?through the air, in and out of a tuba, onto a giant balloon that collides with an airplane?and then parachuting with his baby blanket. Catrow gives these zany adventures life and humor with his caricatures featuring exaggerated expressions and different perspectives. The large format will attract young readers, but older children who know a more traditional rendition of this poem will enjoy the contrast with this version even more. The visual appeal of this book just might make it transcend the pumpkin-pie season. Consider shelving this rollicking romp with your picture books to give it more exposure.?Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805038256
• ISBN-13: 978-0805038255
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,941,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL BOOK BUT THERE HAS BEEN A HORRIBLE MISTAKE HERE BY AMAZON AND THE BUYER SHOULD BECAREFUL, August 14, 2011

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Over the River and Through the Wood (Paperback)

First, let me address an issue; a problem if you will, as to this book and the reviews here. Somehow, between Amazon and Publishers Weekly there has been a grave error made. If you read the product description from PW you will find that they have reviewed the wrong book. Their review is of a book with a similar title,Over The River and Through the Woods [..] which was written by Lydia Marie Child and illustrated by David Catrow. You will note that some of the customer's reviews, in particular the three star reviews, have all been directed toward the Child book. This is not the fault of the reviewers because the various links Amazon has provided bounce the customer back and forth between the two books; the Catrow book and the one being reviewed here written by Lydia Maria Child and illustrated by Brinton Turkle. Amazon has mixed these two books up...I do not know how they did it as the ISBN numbers are different, but did it they did. While I have not read it, the Catrow book, (1999) is an urban spoof, as I understand it, on the original song and quite a different animal that what we are dealing with in the Child book. Whether or not it is a good book or not...I haven't a clue as I have never laid eyes on it.

Anyway, the work being reviewed here is by Maria Child and was published by Scholastic Inc. in 1974.
It consists of some wonderful illustrations by Brinton Turkle depicting an old fashion Thanksgiving dinner at what is probably just before the turn of the last century. There are no cars...it is all horse and buggy; wood stoves, horse drawn sleds, long skirts and home cooked food. Some of these illustrations are in black and white (which is very effective) and others in color. All are skillfully executed.

The text of this work consists of the words to the old song..,"Over the River, an Through the Woods." It is designed so that the reader can sing along with the illustrations which fit perfectly.

This is an ideal work to be used during the Thanksgiving Season and most certainly could be used during Christmas also.

This is an excellent work and I hope that people are not put off by the mix-up here.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures, fun to have a book you can sing, November 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Over the River and Through the Woods (Cartwheel) (Paperback)

My three-year old lovrd this. Nice pictures of an old-fashioned Thanksgiving, but he particularly liked the idea of a ook you could sing along to.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love David Catrow's illustrations., November 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Over the River and Through the Woods (Paperback)

David Catrow is one of my favorite illustrators, and he definately puts a new spin on a classic Thanksgiving Day rhyme in this book. . .I especially love the cat!