Children's Literature
- Sharon Salluzzo
Jessie visits her grandparents in Maine and goes to grandpa's fish farm. Grandpa succinctly explains the process involved in raising Atlantic salmon and the research and experimentation to harvest Halibut. His business contrasts with that of Jessie's father who is a fish and wildlife officer in Alaska. He works to prevent overfishing of wild Pacific salmon, keeps rivers and streams clean and clear of debris, and constructs fishways so salmon can more easily return to their birth streams. The environmental concerns, including the problem of pollution in the fish farms, are presented and make a good topic for discussion. The illustrations are best when showing the fishing areas, and they help the reader understand the descriptions of the fish farm pens and the fishways near the waterfalls for the Pacific salmon. Part of the "American at Work" series, this is timely and up-to-date. There is an index and a recipe for grandpa's fish cakes.
Library Journal
Gr 2-4-In Mining, Trish and Jamie's upcoming hockey tournament prompts their parents to show them how the steel blades for ice skates are made. First they take a tour of mom's workplace, an underground mine shaft, and then of the steel mill where dad works. There, the children see how ore is changed into various usable metals, including stainless steel. The processes used to mine ore and fuels are discussed, as is what is being done to reclaim mining wastelands. In Fishing, Grandpa takes his granddaughter to his fish farm on the Maine coast. Readers learn about large trawlers that use underwater nets to catch fish as well as how they are hatched, grown, and sold. The girl then travels back to the West coast where her father, a fish and wildlife officer, describes his job and gives her a tour of nearby streams and rivers. Environmental issues such as overfishing are also discussed. While Drake and Love have chosen subjects and a format reminiscent of those by Gail Gibbons, the smaller text size, detailed explanations, and terminology in these two books are better suited to slightly older readers. The labeled pictures help younger children to follow along. These entries are colorful, descriptive, and detailed; the cheerful watercolor illustrations make otherwise dry subjects interesting.-Kit Vaughan, J. B. Watkins Elementary School, Midlothian, VA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
In the America at Work series, Drake and Love (Forestry, 1998, etc.) offer an overview of two US fisheries, one in Maine and the other in Alaska, as experienced through the eyes of a young girl, Jessie, who travels from her Alaska home to visit her Down East grandfather. The principal catch in each locale is salmon, but the text explains that past fishing practices have radically altered traditional methods of harvest. Heavy over-fishing has reduced the Maine salmon fishery to fish farming, which is what Jessie's grandfather introduces her to. He takes her through the process of raising salmon, and also shows her experimental work in raising halibut. When Jessie returns home, her father, who is state fisheries officer, talks to her about the wild salmon fisheries still found in Alaska, and the ideal elements necessary for prime fish habitat. It is his job to protect that habitat and insure the salmon are not over-harvested as they were on the East Coast. Although the tone of the book is wincingly didactic, for the most part the information is doled out in manageable quantities, and the crystal-clear, full-color artwork leaves no doubt about the difference between a gillnetter and a seiner, a trawler and a longliner. (Picture book. 7-10)
Resource Links
Told in a story format, [this book will capture the interest of the young audience while giving lots of valuable information.
Canadian Bookseller
A super example of fiction that’s based on reality. A girl visits her grandparents in New Brunswick and learns all about the fishing industry - and the problems that come with over fishing. Cheerful illustrations offset a serious environmental theme.
