Higgins Bend Song and Dance [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Briggs Martin (Author), Brad Sneed (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Simon Henry is all business - fish business. He claims he can catch anything that swims, crawls, or floats. But when a wily old bait-stealing catfish named Oscar moves into the deep hole by Higgins Bend, folks begin to wonder if Simon Henry may have met his match. When Oscar steals the cranky fisherman's redworms and even his best five-day-old secret-recipe stinkbait, Simon Henry's skill is put to the test. And so begins the great battle between Simon Henry and the wily Oscar. Neighbors watch and wait . . . until the night Simon Henry comes up with his best bait yet and Oscar takes Simon and his old friend Potato Kelly on the ride of their lives. An original tall tale sure to elicit belly laughs from both young and old alike.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4. Pure pleasure for any who are or know dedicated (obsessed) fishermen. Simon Henry, the quintessential angler, meets his match in Oscar, a catfish known for stealing almost any bait without getting caught. While buying fishhooks at Potato Kelly's Bait and Chowder Shop, Simon Henry vows to catch the wily beast, or engage his solemn self in a number of foolish consequences. His friend Potato Kelly urges him on with promises of new boots and more if he is successful. After several failures, the fisherman uses his truly "sour" socks as bait, but it's hard to say if he catches Oscar or if Oscar catches him. Sneed's bucolic watercolor spreads, awash with blues and greens, are ably coupled with Martin's pleasing text. The characters are crafted with warmth and humor; Simon Henry's no-nonsense scowling face and the twinkle in Potato Kelly's eye should not be missed. Not for beginning readers to tackle alone, but easy enough for those with some experience, this whopper of a fish tale also makes a good read-aloud.?Jody McCoy, Lakehill Preparatory School, Dallas,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A meaty tale of the quest for an uncatchable fish named Oscar is told in folksy, irresistible language. Simon Henry's outstanding features are his ability to catch any fish and brag about it, his unsociable temperament, and his tight boots. In pursuit of his passion, he ignores even the ``Friday-Night-Potluck-Everybody-Come-and-Fling'' party in town. One day, Potato Kelly, female proprietor of the bait and chowder shop, tells him of the ``crafty, bait-grasping catfish'' in local waters, and the chase is on. The two odd-looking middle-aged characters wager with each other in colorful phrases about Simon Henry's ability to succeed. Since his socks ``were beginning to smell worse that sour milk, worse than secret-recipe stinkbait,'' he uses them as a lure. The catfish clamps on and tows the fishing boat like the shark in Jaws, finally leaving only half a sock behind. Simon Henry must do all the humiliating things he promised, and Oscar lives on, singing in the deep hole by Higgins Bend. The watercolor illustrations exaggerate as much as the text: Figures and landscapes sway with the artist's lyrical lines; perspectives as if from odd camera lenses distort and amuse. Some of the townspeople look quite goofy, but they also look familiar, in a tale clearly fished from American waters. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First edition edition (September 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395675839
• ISBN-13: 978-0395675830
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,599,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of Snowflake Bentley, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal. She grew up on a farm in Maine and now she lives in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN ORIGINAL TALL TALE, UPROARIOUSLY TOLD, February 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (West Buxton, Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Higgins Bend Song and Dance (Hardcover)

This book is written to be READ ALOUD! The music of the language, the surprise of unlikely phrases crafted with the liberal use of hyphenation, the authentic voice, and the lively story are everything a tall tale should be! Martin has three irresistible characters here - Simon Henry, Potato Kelly, and Oscar, the uncatchable catfish. Sneed's wildly exaggerated paintings do perfect justice to this joyride of a story!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hang up your sign...Gone Fishin!, November 29, 2002

By 

BeautifullyBroken - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Higgins Bend Song and Dance (Hardcover)

Will Simon Henry catch the legend of Higgins Bend, Oscar, the sneaky catfish? No one ever has...but Simon is determined. Get this book and find out! This great book is brought to you by two of Kansas's finest, author Jackie Briggs Martin and illustrator, Brad Sneed. The story is the perfect length (each page is one or two paragraphs, tops) and the illustrations bring joy and energy to this classic tale of the one that got away...or did he? Your children will ask for this one over and over!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, October 21, 2005

By 

Linda S. Rainey (Murphy, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Higgins Bend Song and Dance (Hardcover)

My 7 year old son and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this together, taking in the water color illustrations and watching Oscar, the fish,transform Simon, the fisherman.