was boring. "I like more
action," he said. "And I
don't like worms." He just
didn't get it.
So Joe joined the town
fishing club. They fished
in streams, ponds, rivers
and brooks. One time they
even fished in a puddle."
I think this book is a perfectly celebratory one for sharing on Father's Day. I hope that all dads get to spend the day with their kids doing what dads and kids love to do together. In this case, it's fishing.
Joe loves to fish. He doesn't mind not catching any. He is content to be in the outdoors, in tune with the sights and sounds that envelop him. Dad doesn't feel the same way. He likes to be more active, and he doesn't like the worms that Joe uses to entice his catch. You can imagine how Joe is feeling. If you cannot, you need only check out David McPhail's winsome illustrations as Joe listens to his father's refusal.
Joe continues to dream about catching The Big One; so, he joins the fishing club. They fish anywhere, and talk about their experiences. Joe continues to invite his father along, sure he will eventually like it. His father refuses his son's invitations. When the fishing club leader announces an ice fishing trip, he lets club members know that they must be supervised by a parent or guardian.
What will Joe do now?
When asked, his father agrees to go, but only if this is the first and last time. Together, they carve a hole, then sit to fish.
"They waited.
They looked at the ice.
They looked at the sky.
They waited some more.
Then Joe and his dad
started to talk."
Will it change what happens in the future? Has Joe finally caught The Big One?
Some books are windows, some books are mirrors. For those for whom this is a mirror, it offers cause for hope.
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