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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

GONE FISHING

There is something so appropriate about the marriage of poetry and the subject of fishing in Tamera Will Wissinger's debut GONE FISHING with adorable illustrations by Matthew Cordell.

It's a classic sibling story that reminds me of a picture book my kids loved called I WISH MY BROTHER WAS A DOG by Carol Diggory Shields with illustrations by Paul Meisel. Sibling-love is certainly a roller-coaster-ish adventure, as these books show.

And the poems! We get Sam's voice as well as little sister Lucy's, and there is much to love. Here's one in Sam's voice:

FIRST CATCH
Lyric Poem

I wish a fish
     I wish a fish
          I wish a fish would bite.

I hope I catch
     I hope I catch
          A fish before tonight.

I think I feel
     I think I feel
          I think I feel a tap.

I reel it in,
     I see a fin,
          And then I catch


                 A cap.

copyright 2013 Tamera Will Wissinger

Cute, huh? I'm thinking first graders will be asking for poles and buckets and worms (or crickets, which is what we use in these parts).

I do hope you'll read it. Fun and sweet. And appropriate, as I am signing off today, on my way to Hattiesburg, MS, for Fay B. Kaigler, where I hope I'll catch a fish *this* big.

Before I go, though, a fishing photo from the Latham Family Archives, circa 2003:



Happy day to you!

10 comments:

  1. I love this little poem and Carol Diggory Shields is a kid-favorite. We do School Daze Rap in our repertoire and they love it!! I will definitely check this out and share it. Even 3rd graders will get a lot from the poem and learn it by heart. Good luck fishing. I can just picture so much here: sibling love, a great time fishing and just being. Let that poetry just sink into your pole and reel you in.
    Have fun, but I don't know what Kay B. Kaigler is!
    Janet F.

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    1. Janet, Fay B. Kaigler is only the most wonderful children's book festival in the world :) http://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival

      Thanks for stopping by. xo

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    2. Ah yes, Fay B. Kaigler. (That's kind of a tongue twister!!) I will have to check this out but am already quite jealous. I hear there is one near me, Linda, so I am going to check that out!!!

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  2. We do NOT have a book festival here in the Denver area, unless I'm totally ignorant. I've been to one, once in Missouri, a wonderful time. Happy travels, Irene. This book does look good. I have a colleague with a young daughter who will think this book delightful. Thank you!

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  3. Love this! So looking forward to reading.

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  4. Aw. I want to read that book!! So fun.

    Your photos bring back such great memories of us fishing when the boys were little. Pretty sure I have some pages like that in my scrapbooks too. :)

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  5. I've never liked fishing... boring ... and besides it's so much fun to chunk rocks into the water... can you guess nobody likes for me to go fishing with them hehehe

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  6. This is such a fun read! My nine-year-old son was enamored with it. Loved the poem featuring Lucy and her temporary pet worm. Cute, cute, cute!

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  7. It looks like an adorable book. My father loves to fish. I have great photos of the kids (when they were little) fishing with Poppy.

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  8. That's just magical...and thank you for those charming photographs!

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