The Bear Went Over the Mountain

by Iza Trapani (Illustrator)

Overview

The bear went over the mountain, to see what he could see, hear what he could hear, smell what he could smell, touch what he could touch, and taste what he could taste; what a busy bear! In this beautifully written rendition of a classic children’s song, bestselling author and illustrator Iza Trapani brings to life the seasonal activities of this cuddly bear. The bear sets out at the beginning of spring and finds fun around every corner, such as watching bunnies hop and smelling flowers. When the bear finds something unpleasant, like a smelly skunk or a prickly porcupine, he learns that the five senses have both good and bad traits. But that is all right, because there is always something just as exciting to try next! As winter arrives, the bear goes home to his cave, tired after his adventures.

The Bear Went Over the Mountain, in paperback for the first time, teaches children about the five senses and the four seasons, all through a timeless song. It is so much fun, kids will want to go exploring too, just like the bear!

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620872628
Publisher:	Sky Pony Press
Publication date:	01/06/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Iza Trapani is a world-renowned children’s author and illustrator. Born in Poland, she now lives on a farm with her husband, Rob. Her work has won prestigious awards such as the American Bookseller Pick of the Lists and has been featured on PBS Storytime and at the White House Easter Egg Roll. She also received the Rip Van Winkle Award, presented by the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern New York, for her contribution to children’s literature. Her bestselling book, The Itsy-Bitsy Spider, has sold more than one million copies. She resides in Woodstock, New York.

Editorial Reviews

A cheerful brown bear enjoys spring, summer, fall, and winter scenes. The well-known song is used as a chorus to listings of various things seen, smelled, touched, and tasted by the bear until he goes back home for a winter snooze. The text says the bear sees three fuzzy rabbits but only two and a half rabbits show in the picture. The bear hears a snake hissing close to his ear. He smells the spicy pines and runs from a spraying skunk. He touches a frog and a porcupine and gets quills in his paws. The frog is referred to as "warty," which can be questioned. The bear is shown eating berries and running from bees. He gathers acorns amid falling oak leaves. The musical notes of the tune appear on the last page along with a recap of the verses. The five senses, four seasons, and some counting are part of the story. The colorful and humorous pictures show the curious bear sometimes in trouble, all of which will appeal to children. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

PreS-Gr 2—As she has done with other traditional songs and rhymes, Trapani expands on a bear's trip over the mountain, relating his expedition over four seasons as he encounters his environment through his five senses. Each section begins with the thrice repeated, "The bear went over the mountain," with a change in the fourth line to reflect the sense highlighted: "To smell what he could smell," "touch what he could touch," etc. While he enjoys the delights of each season, beginning with spring and ending in his cozy den as winter approaches, the bear experiences difficulties as well. For example, he loves the plants and grubs he tastes in summer but is chased by bees when he tries to taste their honey. The rhyming text introduces fine vocabulary. The bear savors "spicy pines," "tangy shrubs," "moldy leaves," and "minty grasses" and meets a minnow that is "slick and shiny." The large, full-color paintings, many of them spreads, clearly depict many aspects of each season and are suitable for group viewing. This is a good vehicle for discussing the seasons, with their flora and fauna, as well as the five senses. The text also suggests counting the creatures bear meets as he begins his journey. Back matter contains musical notation and verses.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT

School Library Journal

Seasons and senses and bears, oh my! In a refreshing spin on an old sing-along favorite, Trapani's bear doesn't go over the mountain just to see what he can see, but to hear, touch, smell and taste as well. His sensory adventures are humorously cut short when he sees a mama duck nipping and chasing him away, hears a snake hissing in his ear, smells a skunk spraying, feels a porcupine's quills and has his taste of sweet honey interrupted by a swarm of buzzing bees. Verse by verse, the song's text introduces the five senses while art depicts the (mis)adventures and also provides a visual representation of the progression of the seasons. By book's end, winter has arrived, and Bear retreats over the mountain again to his den, leaving readers with the satisfying ending: "And now the bear is snoring, / Snugly in his den." In case readers are unaware of the tune to the song, backmatter provides the score and verses all on a single page. Throughout, the colorful paintings of the subtly anthropomorphized bear frolicking in his woodland mountain habitat will engage young readers and singers. A fine addition to the storytime shelf. (Picture book. 1-4)

Kirkus Reviews