Today I'm Going Fishing with My Dad

Although the young narrator of this story does not particularly enjoy fishing, he loves to be with his dad, and his dad loves fishing--and that makes all the difference.

Resentful "fishing widows" might be the best audience for this diatribe against Dad's self-centered fishing expeditions. In neutral tones a boy begins describing the preparations he and his father make for a fishing trip. Only midway do the boy's true feelings emerge: "I hate going fishing with my dad." He hates the heat, bad lunches, wriggly worms, lack of bathrooms, his dad's insistence on being quiet, etc. To redeem this wretched experience, the book ends, "But I love spending time with my dad, and my dad likes to go fishing, so . . . today I'm going fishing with my dad." Either the reader is left unconvinced that the hero could so loathe an activity most children love or, if convinced, is left to share the hero's misery. Though interesting for their minimalism, Demarest's ( My Little Red Car ) impressionistic watercolors add little joie-de-vivre to this dour book. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The first half of this realistic story is yet another rehearsal of getting out the gear, making an the early start, and starting the companionable drive. But at that point (with a type change), the boy lets readers in on his true feelings: he hates everything about fishing--the mosquitoes, the worms, the need to keep quiet; worst is when he catches a fish and has to eat it for supper. Still, ``I love spending time with my dad, and my dad likes to go fishing, so....'' Not every child is so wise, or so patient. Those who are will find validation in this boy's honesty; others may consider the merits of his loving stoicism. Demarest's watercolors, sketched sparingly across the white spreads, deftly suggest scenes without delineating them in any detail. His touch may not be as wonderfully sure as James Stevenson's, but he has a fine eye; it's a daring use of a difficult technique, particularly effective here where the emphasis is on the emotional content of the events. Low-key, with a nice touch of humor--a good book to start discussion. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.