Reenie and her mama love to go fishing down by the river. But the peace of their idyllic fishing spot is often marred by the appearance of Peter Troop and his daddy. Peter is up-jumpy and loud, scaring the fish away. And the Troops harbor some resentment toward them, too. Peter and his daddy are fishing for food; Reenie and Mama fish for fun. The Troops are white; Reenie and Mama are black. And in the Jim Crow South, it is this last difference that is most significant. One day, when the Troops' fishing reel breaks, Reenie overcomes their mutual fear and mistrust to help Peter-an act that holds the promise of friendship and understanding. This is a moving story about two children crossing boundaries of race, class, and gender, and about small acts that make a big difference.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-A story of differences and similarities, compassion and generosity. Reenie and her mom, who are black, love to fish from the banks of the aptly nicknamed Jim Crow River. Peter and his dad, who are white, fish at the same river. However, the two families never speak to one another because, as the girl's mother reminds her, "We and white folks have kept our distance here, for as long as memory serves." While the females catch fish, the males are frustrated in their attempts. They need help, and Reenie decides to take the initiative and offer the boy some assistance and advice when he is alone. Evans takes Pinkney's words and transforms them into powerfully expressive images. Readers will easily identify with the emotions of the characters, and gain a sense of time and place. The illustrations spill across double pages in Evans's characteristic warm shades of blue, brown, green, and gold. The river flows across most of the spreads, sometimes at the top, other times at the center or bottom of the page. This heartwarming story has broad appeal and ends on a hopeful note; the children are no longer the strangers that they once were. In an author's note, Pinkney explains the term "Jim Crow" and how she came to write this book.
Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. Like Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side (2001), this picture book tells a moving story about children who make friends across the barriers of segregation. Reenie loves to fish in a stream that folks call Jim Crow River, and she learns from Mama how to catch carp by baiting her hooks with kernels of corn. When a white boy, Peter, and his dad come to fish, their noise frightens the fish away. The adults, especially the white man, try to keep the kids separate, but Reenie (with Mama's support) reaches out to the needy white boy and shows him how to catch fish. Evans' poignant pictures, many of them portraits, show the kids apart, and then, in a beautiful close-up, picture Reenie helping Peter bait his hook with corn. In the final double-page spread Peter waves to Reenie from the flatbed of his dad's pickup, and Reenie waves back. Pinkney's personal afterword talks about her childhood memories of prejudice and segregation, and the historic fact helps document the friendship story. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
history, friendship, tolerance,
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This review is from: Fishing Day (Hardcover)
this book captured my audience of 4th graders with a little background filling of segregation. Wonderful story!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When Saturday comes, Mama and I wake long before the sun, so we can catch the fish right when they wake. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When Saturday comes, Mama and I wake long before the sun, so we can catch the fish right when they wake. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
3
books
cite this book:
- Balancing Reading and Language Learning by Mary Cappellini on page 285
- Learning Under the Influence of Language and Literature: Making the Most of Read-Alouds Across the Day by Lester L. Laminack on page 163
- Becoming a Literacy Leader: Supporting Learning and Change by Jennifer Allen in Back Matter
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