Synopsis: Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, quickly up the river, then swiftly out to sea, meeting fish, octopuses and crocodiles on the way. A sparkling version of the well-loved rhyme, delightfully illustrated, and complete with actions and music.

Review: This extension to the popular nursery song will give it a new lease of life in many households, nurseries and pre-schools, by both adding to the existing rhyme and it’s actions. Some of the concepts will be familiar (in keeping the “other” new verses performed by many play and music groups), while the rest are original and witty. The final verse is particularly interactive, allowing parents to invite their children to answer the question “shall we sing once more?” Be prepared for plenty of positive answers!

The watercolour illustrations fit the ambience of the song, and the boy and his mum look at home in their rowing boat. The seascapes are incredibly effective, with the water suiting the style of the book. The artwork is laid out well, with each page showing a different viewpoint of the boat – a picture book of this nature runs the risk of being repetitive, but the author and illustrator both avoid this highly successfully.

This is a lovely book that will be read and sung over and over again, and one that slightly older children will also enjoy using their friends and younger siblings.

2008-04-06