Good Day's Fishing

What I need for a good day's fishing is in here somewhere....

What's the secret to a good day's fishing?

Bright sun.

Cool breeze.

Favorite rod and reel.

Tackle box with bobbers,

hooks, and sinkers.

But we haven't gotten

to the secret...yet.

James Prosek, best-selling author of Trout and Fly-Fishing the 41st,tells the story of a good day's fishing in this beautiful picture book, illustrated with the author's own gentle watercolors. For those who want to learn more about how to fish, there's a comprehensive glossary of lures and flies in the back of the book. A Good Day's Fishing will make a fisherman or fisherwoman out of anyone — even a first-timer.

Publishers Weekly

Prosek, whose earlier books (Trout; Fly-Fishing the 41st) have made quite a splash with adult anglers, will hook youngsters who have experienced-or long to experience-the lure of this pastime. "This is my tackle box. What I need for a good day's fishing is in here somewhere!" exudes the young narrator, whom readers spy only on the half-title page and two concluding illustrations. On the pages in between, Prosek's spare, realistic watercolors focus closely on the contents of the boy's tackle box and the type of fish that each item helps him catch. The artist's painstakingly detailed style incorporates the subtle as well as striking hues of the species against generous white space. Other fishing tales inspire full-bleed spreads of the species' habitat ("I hooked a crappie, too,/ but it got away!"), and some humor surfaces when the boy's search turns up some unexpected articles-an old sandwich and an eel ("How'd he get in here?"). Eventually, readers learn which is the crucial, missing accoutrement: his fishing hat. In the annotated, illustrated lure and fly glossary that follows the breezy tour of the tackle box, the author explains how and when each is used, shares tidbits from his personal experience and imparts some folksy advice ("Spending time on the water is the only way to become an effective fisherman or fisherwoman [unless you were born lucky]"). This cheerful handbook may well entice kids to seek out their own good day's fishing. Ages 5-10. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

James Prosek began his writing career at the age of twenty with Trout, An Illustrated History when he was still a student at Yale University. His other books include Joe and Me: An Education in Fishing and Friendship, The Complete Angler: A Connecticut Yankee Follows in the Footsteps of Walton, and Fly-Fishing the 41st: Around the World on the 41st Parallel. He wrote and co-produced a Peabody Award-winning fishing documentary on ESPN. His first venture into children's books, A Good Day's Fishing, followed his adult books' footsteps in its popularity. He lives next to a fishing pond in Easton, Connecticut. Visit James at his website www.jamesprosek.com.