Each of Iza Trapani's books is filled with humor and expands on the original nursery rhyme with illustrations, settings and the addition of animals. Music and verse can be found at the back of each of the nursery rhymes, is the music and verses. The illustrations in every one of these books is simply delightful and playful. All of these books are highly recommended as an addition to your child's library.
| Iza Trapani
|interview below| |
In her own words... |
by Eve Bunting On her way to town, Miss Brindle Cow meets a host of animals who are late for a very important wedding. What can she do? Gracious Miss Cow doesn't miss a beat. One by one, they climb on her back--the organist, the pastor, the florist, and more. But where is the bride?
Eve Bunting's charming text and Iza Trapani's delightful illustrations make a winning pair. --Whispering Coyote Press 2003 Ages 4-8 ORDER@AMAZON [friendship/cooperation]
|
 In
1961, when I was seven years old, my mother and I sailed across the Atlantic
Ocean from Poland to America. My father, sister and brother
and my paternal grandmother all stayed behind in the tiny apartment in
Warsaw where the six of us had resided. Under Communist rule entire
families were not allowed to travel abroad so my mother took me, the youngest,
hoping for the opportunity to bring the rest of the family over at
a later time. Tragically, she died before fulfilling her dream. My father
died shortly thereafter. Due to extenuating circumstances I was unable
to return to Poland and twenty five years passed before I was re-united
with my brother and sister. I spent three and a half years in a Catholic
orphanage and then, after completing High School, moved to the Hudson River
Valley in upstate New York.
In the ensuing years I worked as a nanny, short-order cook and waitress while studying art at the State University in New Paltz. After graduation I continued to work various jobs: rock climbing guide, real estate broker, caterer and free-lance illustrator. But all along I had one dream- to make picture books, and my portfolio bulged with stories and related art for children - just hoping for that lucky break. For many years when blowing out candles on my birthday cakes it was my wish to someday illustrate a children’s book. Often I recall an incident while taking a real estate motivational course. When asked by the teacher to state my primary goal, without blinking an eye I had replied, “to make books for children”. She wasn't looking for that answer but to me it was a personal affirmation of my real dream. When my first book was published I jumped with joy. Now I am working on my fourteenth and still ecstatic. I have always loved children’s literature -from the wacky brilliance of Dr. Seuss to the timeless, love-filled classics of Margaret Wise Brown and a slew of others in between. The pure simplicity of words matched with enchanting illustrations is an irresistible combination and it has fascinated me all my life. As a child I spent hours reading books, immersed in their magic. These days I try to re-create some of that magic for others to enjoy. Every day I thank my lucky stars for the life I have with my loving
husband and stepson, our two overly affectionate dogs and cat, our new
farm in Rifton, New York where we are building a new house, and a career
that keeps me smiling. Looking back on my childhood in Poland, I feel that
I owe my family gratitude for fostering a creative environment in our home
and for instilling in me a love for books, language, art and music at a
very early age. I have vivid memories of sitting at our dining table in
that tiny apartment blanketing every scrap of paper, every newspaper margin
with my art. For the brief time that I knew my parents, their encouragement
and support left a lasting impression and contributed greatly to the realization
of my lifelong dream.
Other books I have illustrated: Tracy’s
Mess by Elise Petersen (1996)
Books in Progress: Baa Baa Black Sheep (Fall 2001) An
interview with Iza Trapani
ETC What made you choose to adapt and illustrate nursery rhymes?
Iza Trapani - It all started one day
when I was brainstrorming with my publisher, editor and art director
to come up with a project for my second book (What Am I ? was the first).
My publisher wanted me to do something
well known, so we thought about fairy tales then nursery rhymes
and we realized that The Itsy Bitsy Spider lent itself well to adaptation
and that's the one that was selected. I have to admit
I wasn't too keen on the idea for I'm a serious arachnaphobe - but needless
to say I accepted the challenge! It turned out to be lots of fun
working on it and we were all very excited.
When the book came out it became
an instant hit and I received wonderful feedback especially
from teachers and librarians. They love using the book in their classrooms
and encouraged me to continue with these adaptations.
I chose Twinkle Twinkle Little
Star because it's also well known and very sweet.
In general, I try to pick songs that are well known because I think children
will recognize the titles which will draw them into the book. Knowing
the first verse will give them confidence and the rest of the
verses follow the same rhyme scheme and can be sung for even easier learning.
I'm really happy that my books are so popular in schools.
As a child I loved books (still do of course). It's interesting
that when I arrived in the U.S. from Poland my relatives gave me a big illustrated
book of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. I absolutely adored
it and would spend hours immersed in its magic, and, in fact, I
learned English through these rhymes! And even back then I dreamed of someday
making picture books.
ETC
Is music a big part of your life?
Iza Trapani - I guess my life has come full circle. Music
has also been a very important part of my life. My parents gave me
a great appreciation for music and taught me songs. I've sung all my
life and I'm now studying piano.
When I visit schools I'll often
sing my books to the children and we always sing at least the first
verses together. I'm really happy to be helping to keep these traditions
alive.
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Row Row Row Your Boat 1999
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