Great Fishing Contes

Once again these collaborators have combined their unusual talents to produce a warm, thoughtful picture book. Determined to win the local annual fishing contest, best friends Jason and Sammy realize that if one of them should win the coveted first prize, then the other will not. Thus The Great Fishing Contest is primarily a book about friendship, about the camaraderie of going after the same goal, of winning with good grace and losing without jealousy. Jason narrates the story, and as in A Song for Uncle Harry and The Road from Home , Kherdian shows his sensitivity to the cadences of a child's voice. He fully understands young hopes and worries, and skillfully sets them down with earnest humor. Rich yet uncomplicated, Hogrogian's gentle pastels capture the boys' closeness as they sit and plan together, until both text and art take on the glow of idyllic childhood summers. Ages 4-8. (May)