Amos Bar (; October 15, 1931 – March 15, 2011), also known as "Possa", was an Israeli author, teacher, and editor. Most of his books are for children and young adults.

Biography

Amos Bar was born to Sarah and Pinhas Barber in

moshav A moshav (, plural ', "settlement, village") is a type of Israeli village or town or Jewish settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists between 1904 and 1 ...

Tel Adashim Tel Adashim () is a moshav in northern Israel. Located between Nazareth and Afula, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council.

, in the

Jezreel Valley The Jezreel Valley (from the ), or Marj Ibn Amir (), also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. It is bordered to the north by the highlands o ...

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine. After ...

. At age 9, his family relocated to

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

. His early life experiences are richly interlaced in his books. After graduating from high school in Tel Aviv, he enlisted in the IDF and served in Nahlayim Mul Aza ("

Nahal Nahal () (acronym of ''Noar Halutzi Lohem'', lit. Fighting Pioneer Youth) is a program that combines military service with mostly social welfare and informal education projects such as youth movement activities, as well as training in entrepr ...

soldiers opposite Gaza"), the country's first

Nahal settlement Nahal settlements () were Israeli settlements established by Israeli soldiers of Nahal in both Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. Supporting the growth and expansion of Israeli Jews was once the main focus of Nahal troops of the Israe ...

, which later became kibbutz

Nahal Oz Nahal Oz (, ''lit.'' "Mighty Stream") is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northwestern part of the Negev desert close to the border with the Gaza Strip and near the development towns of Sderot and Netivot, it is under the juri ...

. In 1951, he joined Kibbutz

Revivim Revivim () is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Located around half an hour south of Beersheba, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council. In it had a population of . History 1943 establishment The commu ...

in the

Negev The Negev ( ; ) or Naqab (), is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort town, resort city ...

. His first book ''The Little Tractor Driver'' was written in 1958, following his experiences as a farmer in the kibbutz fields. He continued to publish numerous children's books, stories and children's magazines,

radio plays Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

and

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

s for children on radio and television. After graduating from the kibbutz seminary college and from

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

, he was a teacher and an educator for many years. In 1978, he assumed the editor-in-chief role of "Pashosh", a nature magazine for children published by the

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (, ''HaHevra LeHaganat HaTeva''), or SPNI, is an Israeli non-profit environmental organization working to preserve plants, animals, and natural environments that represent bio-diversity, by protectin ...

, and remained its editor for 24 years. He also served as the editor of children's books in publishing houses:

Schocken Books Schocken Books is a book publishing imprint of Penguin Random House that specializes in Jewish literary works. Originally established in 1931 by Salman Schocken as Schocken Verlag in Berlin, the company later moved to Israel and then the Unit ...

Hakibbutz Hameuchad -Sifriat Poalim Publishing Group
and

Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir is a book publishing company in Israel. History The company's oldest imprint, Dvir, was founded in Odessa in 1919 by Hayim Nahman Bialik.

. Throughout the last two decades of his life he lived with his family in an Israeli community village, and held educational sessions with children and teenagers throughout Israel. Amos Bar (Possah) died on March 15, 2011. He was the father of six and grandfather of four.

His work

Amos Bar's books are inspired by his childhood experiences in the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definition ...

, its landscapes, and animals. His writing is characterized by a personal, smiling, and rogue style – seasoned with nostalgia and optimism. His strong affection for his characters is highly apparent in his books:

"Sometimes, early in the morning, for the sound of birdsong, I go back to the days of my childhood, seeing the sights of the world through the eyes of a child, hearing the sounds with child ears, and feeling everything with a child's heart. I instantly empathize with everything I tell about, from a tree and a flower to a bird, a deer or a dwarf; while writing I see them alive and perform tricks, hear them talk as human beings, and there is nothing I can do but write or tell what I see and feel ", described Amos his work process. "My childhood stories are written quickly and without difficulty. I simply remember clearly what happened to since I started to walk."

Awards

* In 1972, his book "''I'm Running out of The Horse''" was included in the list of honor of

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

. * In 1978, he won the

Lamdan Prize The Lamdan Prize was an Israeli prize awarded annually, from 1954 to 1983, for literary works for children and youth. The prize was presented by the Ramat Gan Municipality in conjunction with the Hebrew Writers Association in Israel and was foun ...

for his book "''Poretz Ha-Machsomim''" ("''Blockade Runner''"), Sreberk, 1977. * In 1993, he won the Ze'ev Award for his work "''HaMeshoreret MeKineret'" ("''The Poet of Sea of Galilee''").

Books

* The Little Tractor Driver (, ''Hatractora'i Hakatan'', 1958) * Fishing Fish (, ''DaGeem DaGeem'', 1961) * Rotem and the Magic Hair (, ''Rotem Vese'arat Hak'samim'', 1961) – written for his oldest daughter's birthday * The Legend of the Awakening Sea (, ''Agadat Hayam Hamit'orer'', 1963) * The Ants Hill (, ''Giv'at Hanemalim'', 1967) * I'm Running out of The Horse (, ''Nigmar Li Hasus'', 1972) * Dews in the Negev (, ''Tlalim BaNegev'', 1972) * The Tales of TomerOdedana (, ''Halilot TomerOdedana'', 1975) * Blockade Runner (, ''Poretz Hama'hsomim'', 1972) (Hebrew) * The Negev Patrol (, ''Sayeret HaNegev'', 1978) * The rebellion at the Zoo (, ''Ha'mered Be'pinat He'hai'', 1979) * Burning Ship at Tel-Aviv shore (, ''Oniya Bo'eret Be'hof Tel Aviv'', 1980) * Stories about Birds (, ''Sipurim Al Tziporim'', 1983) * The Jumping Champion and the Car Counter(, ''Aluf Hak'fitzot Vesofer Hame'honiyot'', 1988) * The Poet of Sea of Galilee (, ''Hameshoreret MeiKineret'', 1983) – included in Israel's Ministry of Educatio
Reading Recommndation List of 2010–11
* First 100 trips (, ''Me'ah Tiyulim Rishonim'', 1986) * One Dog, Two kids, Three chicks(, ''Kelev E'had, Shnei Yeladim, Sheloshah Efro'him'', 1996) * Legend Flowers (, ''Pirhei Agadah'', 1995) * Legend Birds (, ''Tziporei Agadah'', 1997) * Legend Land (, ''Eretz Agadah'', 1997) * Where Have You Come From, Pretty Butterfly? (, ''Me'na'yin Ba'ta, Parpar Yafe?'', 1999) * Where Have You Come From, Cute Bunny? (, ''Ei'h Ba'ta La'olam, Arnavon Nehmad?'', 2000)

Editorial works

* Pashosh Children Magazine עיתון פשוש (, ''Pashosh'') (by

SPNI Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (, ''HaHevra LeHaganat HaTeva''), or SPNI, is an Israeli non-profit environmental organization working to preserve plants, animals, and natural environments that represent bio-diversity, by protectin ...

– Chief editor for 24 years * They See, but Can't Be Seen by Pinhas Amitay (, ''HaRo'eem Ve Einam Nireem'', 1983) * Adventures with Plants by Pinhas Amitay (, ''HarPatka'ot Eem TzmaHeem'', 1983) * Insects at Home and in the Garden by Pinhas Amitay (, ''HaRakeem Baba'eet Ve Ba'Hatzer'', 1983)

Translation works

* Spot's Birthday (Hebrew) by Eric Hill, translated and edited by Amos Bar (, ''Yom Hooledet Le Pinookee'', 1984) * Spot's Noisy Walk (Hebrew) by Eric Hill, translated and edited by Amos Bar (, ''Pinookee Yotzeh Le Tiyool'', 1984) translated to Hebrew and edited by Amos Bar (Hebrew) in the publisher's website