A Good Day's Fishing

ANNOTATION

A child searches through the hooks, lures, bobbers, and other paraphernalia in his tacklebox for the one thing he needs to ensure a good day's fishing. Includes a detailed glossary.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What I need for a good day's fishing is in here somewhere....

What's the secret to a good day's fishing?

Bright sun.Cool breeze.Favorite rod and reel.Tackle box with bobbers,hooks, and sinkers.But we haven't gottento the secret...yet.

James Prosek, best-selling author of Trout and Fly-Fishing the 41st,tells the story of a good day's fishing in this beautiful picture book, illustrated with the author's own gentle watercolors. For those who want to learn more about how to fish, there's a comprehensive glossary of lures and flies in the back of the book. A Good Day's Fishing will make a fisherman or fisherwoman out of anyone -- even a first-timer.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Prosek, whose earlier books (Trout; Fly-Fishing the 41st) have made quite a splash with adult anglers, will hook youngsters who have experienced-or long to experience-the lure of this pastime. "This is my tackle box. What I need for a good day's fishing is in here somewhere!" exudes the young narrator, whom readers spy only on the half-title page and two concluding illustrations. On the pages in between, Prosek's spare, realistic watercolors focus closely on the contents of the boy's tackle box and the type of fish that each item helps him catch. The artist's painstakingly detailed style incorporates the subtle as well as striking hues of the species against generous white space. Other fishing tales inspire full-bleed spreads of the species' habitat ("I hooked a crappie, too,/ but it got away!"), and some humor surfaces when the boy's search turns up some unexpected articles-an old sandwich and an eel ("How'd he get in here?"). Eventually, readers learn which is the crucial, missing accoutrement: his fishing hat. In the annotated, illustrated lure and fly glossary that follows the breezy tour of the tackle box, the author explains how and when each is used, shares tidbits from his personal experience and imparts some folksy advice ("Spending time on the water is the only way to become an effective fisherman or fisherwoman [unless you were born lucky]"). This cheerful handbook may well entice kids to seek out their own good day's fishing. Ages 5-10. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

This enticing introduction to fishing can be enjoyed by both neophytes and regular practitioners. The text is simple and brief, beginning with the tackle box. For each lure, fly, or other essential there, our narrator recalls the fish he caught with it. Along with an old sandwich, he finds hooks, tools, a tape measure. But it's only when he comes upon his hat that he can finally take the box, rod, and reel and go fishing. The few words per page serve mainly as the captions for naturalistic watercolors of the wide array of "thing-a-ma-bobs" inside his box. We are led into the book by the large fish that swims right off the double title page. The illustrations are accurate representations, but we can sense the affection Prosek must have for them as well. The scenes of the fish caught are equally naturalistic and appealing, even for non-fisherfolks. The book concludes with an extensive "Lure and Fly Glossary" which explains and illustrates the vast array of types of lures and flies available. 2004, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Ages 5 to 10.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-The author of the decidedly handsome adult book Trout (Knopf, 1996) turns his careful pen and deft paintbrush to an equally handsome work for children. Here, a young narrator conveys his love of fishing by describing the contents of his tackle box and identifying the species that each lure is designed to catch. A spinner (for perch), flies "tied from furs and feathers" (for trout), and a variety of hooks ("Aren't they cool?") are among the equipment presented in the very brief text and luminous watercolors. At the end, the child digs out the item most essential for "a good day's fishing"-"my hat." A five-page glossary carefully defines the wide variety of lures portrayed, from spinners to spoons, dry flies to jigs. This title will appeal to readers who enjoyed such offerings as William T. George's attractive Fishing at Long Pond (Greenwillow, 1991; o.p.) and Nina Kidd's suspenseful June Mountain Secret (HarperCollins, 1991; o.p.), but are not yet ready for the complexities of Jim Arnosky's colorful Freshwater Fish & Fishing (Scholastic, 1982) or his personal Flies in the Water, Fish in the Air (HarperCollins, 1986; o.p.). Prosek's book is a special treat that may lure to the surface the ever-hopeful fisherperson lurking in youngsters' inner depths.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews