Erie Canal

by Peter Spier

The folk song describing the journey from Albany to Buffalo on the Erie Canal in the 1850's. Includes musical notation.

Genres: Picture Books, History, Childrens, Transport, American, Music

36 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Peter Spier has established himself as one of the most gifted illustrators in this county. His Noah's Ark was the 1978 Caldecott Award winner, while The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night was a Caldecott Honor book in 1962. The firs two books in his widely acclaimed Mother Goose Library, London Bridge Is Falling Down! and To Market! To Market! were winner and runner-up respectively for the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. The Erie Canal and Noah's Ark both won Christopher Awards, while Gobble, Growl, Grunt received Honorable Mention in the first Children's Science Book Award program, sponsored by the New York Academy of Science.

Born and educated in Amsterdam, Mr. Spier came to New York in 1952 after serving in the Royal Dutch Navy and working for a number of years as a reporter for Elsevier's Weekly, Holland's largest magazine. He has illustrated over a hundred books and has contributed a series of murals to the H. F. Du Pont Winterthur Museum in Delaware.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Peter Spier's picture books, and this is no exception. His depictions of life along the Erie Canal suggest a busy, thriving population, and his historical notes at the end add many practical details from the canal's beginning in 1817 to its end in 1917.

[Kristin Nare · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boys and I loved this book, and the song is now one of their favorites. There is so much detail in Spier's delightful artwork.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spire’s illustrations to the folk song are fantastic. Included at the back of the book is a history of the canal. I can see how the tow path worked!

[Alyson Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was based on a song about the Erie Canal. It describes what a trip on a boat would be like on the Erie Canal. The boat carried mules and people from Albany to Buffalo. This is a cute book for children to learn about the Erie Canal. It is simple enough for them to understand the basics of what the canal is all about. I would show it to my special ed classroom as an intro to the subject.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains the Erie Canal by using the song "Fifteen days on the Erie Canal" and turning it into a story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

AR?

[Isabelle Wrobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary Realistic
Grade Level: K-1
This book held my interest for two reasons, because of the illustrations and the Erie Canal being an actual place. It informs and is fun at the same time. It makes me interested in doing more research on the Erie Canal.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book, combining a traditional folk song with Spier's generously-detailed drawings. He's at his best as he finds more and more people, buildings, landforms, animals and more to put into amusing situations or interactions or when he adds amusing touches (especially with the line, "Low bridge, ev'rybody down!"). As for the history of the Canal, I knew it had locks - what I didn't know was that it passed above rivers.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author created art to go along with a old folk song about a guy on the Erie Canal who has a mule called Sal that he uses to help pull boats from here to there and back again along the canal. Never heard of the song, so it was just a kinda of repetitive story for me.

Illustrations are great. Well worth reading just to look at the pictures.

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrated version of the old song On The Erie Canal. Book was created in the 70's but I think it has stuck around the library as it is a piece of our local history. Fun way to teach kids about the history of Buffalo NY

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustrations to go along with the song the book is named.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite song to play when I was learning the piano. Enjoyed seeing illustrated what I imagined.