The Gift - Hardcover

Franklin, Kristine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 081180447X ISBN 13: 9780811804479

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1999

Synopsis

Jimmy Joe can hardly believe it. Fish Woman has invited him to go fishing. And not just regular fishing, but salmon fishing. Some say that Fish Woman might be a witch, but salmon fishing...well, that's an invitation you just can't turn down. So he puts on his hat, his sweater and his yellow slicker, and Jimmy Joe and Fish Woman head out to sea for an adventure more magical than he ever could have imagined.
Vibrant watercolors in glowing hues of blue, green, and red bring alive the beauty of the sea, the magnificence of the mighty whales that live within it, and the warmth of the characters, making this a special story about friendship and the true meaning of giving.

About this title

About the Author:

Kristine L. Franklin lives in Minnesota. She is the author of several award-winning books for children.

Barbara Lavallee lives in Alaska. Her vibrant watercolor illustrations are well-known for their depictions of a wide range of Alaskan life.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-Lavallee's striking watercolors with stylized rounded figures will draw readers to this picture book about a young boy's fishing trip with an elder known as "Fish Woman." The author and illustrator hint at a Pacific Northwest setting, but no specific place or cultural references are identified. In a story with an ecological twist, the boy, Jimmy Joe, catches a great Chinook but, impressed by the glittering scales and the enormity of the fish, he immediately regrets its capture. When a pod of killer whales approaches their boat, a solution to the youngster's mixed feelings is at hand: the two companions return the giant fish to the sea to provide a meal for the whales. As the large creatures disappear from view, the boy decides that seeing the "great Wolves of the Sea" is "better than catching a salmon." The story requires some small suspension of disbelief. Although one can accept that a child might be awed and chastened by the beauty of a freshly caught fish and be willing and even eager to return it to the sea, it is tougher to imagine that he would be willing to give it to a whale for lunch. Nevertheless, this lapse in logic will not deter most readers. The book succeeds as both a literary and visual fable.
Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 081180447X
• ISBN 13: 9780811804479
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Lavallee Barbara