One Frozen Lake - Hardcover

Larson, Deborah Jo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0873518667 ISBN 13: 9780873518666

Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012

Synopsis

Seven hours pass. Not one fish. Has anyone seen a fish?

On the surface, it might seem like ice fishing, with its hours in a tiny shack awaiting an elusive crappie or pike, would not be a great match for kids. However, as scores of grandparents and parents know, this unique northern pastime holds special magic for a child.

One Frozen Lake tells the story of a grandfather and grandchild on several ice-fishing adventures. ramshackle ice towns sprout up. Ice shack neighbors share piping-hot cocoa and humorous stories. Eye-catching lures and jigs dance at the end of the fishing line. And mysterious, silvery ice tunnels connect the community above with the one below.

Will they ever catch a fish? Perhaps that's beside the point.

Deborah Jo Larson's engaging narrative, a celebration of her childhood spent on frozen lakes, comes alive with appealing scenes expertly crafted by award-winning children's book artists Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, who create shimmering worlds above and below the ice. One Frozen Lake tells of a tradition being passed from one generation to the next, a tradition that encourages spending unhurried time together sharing winter's gifts— and creating precious memories that last long after the ice melts.

About this title

About the Author

Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher have collaborated on over thirty books for children, including Dr. Seuss’s My Many Colored Days and Garrison Keillor’s Cat, You Better Come Home.

Reviews

After walking across a frozen lake one morning, a boy and his grandfather make holes in the ice, drop their fishing lines into the water, and wait. After five hours, they move into a heated canvas shack and try again. They share hot cocoa with friends, but “Seven hours pass. / Not one fish.” Packing up at nine o’clock, they reel in a line and catch a fish. That would be a happy ending, but Larson trumps it with an even better one. The staccato lines of the picture book’s text tell a quiet, satisfying story, but its artwork transports readers to the unusual setting, which children might find difficult to imagine on their own. Even the snow and ice glow with subtle color variations in the pleasing digital collage artwork, which combines painted, drawn, and printed elements. In many of the illustrations, a cross section of four-inch ice divides the boy and his grandfather from the dark, mysterious water below them. An inviting introduction to a rarely written about activity. Preschool-Grade 2. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0873518667
• ISBN 13: 9780873518666
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Johnson Steve
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32