ANNOTATION

A young boy and his father go on a fishing trip and discover the power of imagination.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

We were going on a journey, to a secret place. We'd catch the air! We'd catch the breeze!

A father and son set out early one morning in search of a cool, clear river in which to fish. With their lines and bobbers, they cast high into the air catching memories, discoveries, and a bubble of breeze and a sliver of sky and a slice of yellow sun.

The first picture book by Sharon Creech, Newbery award-winning author of Walk Two Moons, is a lyrical portrait of the bond between a father and son. Caldecott Honor recipient Chris Raschka's illustrations shimmer in pools of color and light, making Fishing in the Air a beautiful reminder of the gift of imagination a parent passes on to a child — and a child gladly shares in return.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

"Author and artist are as inextricably linked as the father and son they portray in this moving meditation on the importance of memories and tradition," wrote PW in our Best Books citation. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

Children's Literature

The unnamed boy in this charming, lyrical story of a fishing trip is extraordinarily lucky. His father knows how to describe to his young son even the most ordinary objects and make them magical. Street lamps become tiny little moons, and trees become sentries on guard duty. The breeze comes in bubbles. Birds singing become angels. The father would like to "take those clouds, that sun, those bubbles of breeze, and those angel birds home with me." As the two of them fish companionably, the child, who has a feather on his line instead of a hook, casts the line higher and higher. He asks his father to describe the house in which he grew up, and his own first fishing trip. "And who taught you to fish...?" asks the child His father says, with his eyes closed tight, "it was my father." Now each cast the child makes 'catches' one of the things they have talked about. He will take home more than the fish his father caught. Highly recommended. 2000, Joanna Cotler, $15.95 and $15.89. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Judy Silverman

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Sharon Creech demonstrates her versatility as a writer for children in this unique look at life and sharing in the great outdoors (HarperCollins, 2000). In this story illustrated by Chris Rashka, a father and son embark on a secret early morning adventure. Through the father's words, the boy can imagine his father's childhood. The father's tale of his childhood home, growing up surrounded by nature and fishing with his father, becomes the boy's own story. The father's subtle comments turn the boy's imagination into a visual feast. Through Jason Harris's mellow reading, the story becomes a celebration of sights, sounds, smells, feelings, and flavors. Harris has a smooth tone, giving the father and son the same voice. After enjoying a day outdoors together, the father and boy realize the similarity in their own histories and their mutual love of nature. Since the spirited illustrations strongly support the text, the book must be available for listeners. A good choice to present father-son relationships and strong male role models.-Sherrie Davidson, Lyn Knoll Elementary School, Aurora, CO Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

AudioFile

Fishing gear, food, and river, along with father and son, are featured in this magical childhood tale. Jason Harris characterizes the son with a high voice and uses his normal speaking voice for the father. Natural features turn into other objects: trees into soldiers, birds into angels. Insect sounds enhance the story. The sound of the crickets chirping brings listeners right into the woods with father and son. The page-turning sounds on one side are loud and clear, facilitating use by young listeners. A.G.H.
© AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

A father shows his son how to "catch" something far better than fish in Newbery-winner Creech's (The Wanderer, p. 379, etc.) first picture book. The young narrator recalls an outing—a journey, as his father promises, to a secret place that turns out to be a riverbank where bubbles of breeze, slices of sun, and vivid memories of another boy and another time hover, waiting to be pulled in on the child's hookless fish line. With dancing swirls and dabs of color, bodies arching across spreads as gracefully as dolphins, and images of past and present flowing together, Raschka (Ring! Yo?, 306, etc.) exuberantly echoes and amplifies the intensity of the shared experience. At the father's suggestions, streetlights become tiny moons; trees in a row transform into soldiers; and recollections of a boyhood home, other fields, and another father swim into view. Creech's prose is rich in flowing rhythms, tinged with sentiment, and no less replete with evocative images than the pictures. " ￯﾿ﾽOh,' my father said again. / ￯﾿ﾽWhere is that father / and that boy?' / I reeled in my line. / ￯﾿ﾽRight here,' I said, / and he turned to look at me, / as I cast my line again / so high, so far." A rare episode, with layers of meaning for readers of several generations. (Picture book. 6-8)