School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-In this fast-paced wordless fishing adventure, a boy and his dog, with tackle box and fishing poles in tow, dash past a bewildered man starting a road race as they head for a boat. First they catch the letter F and next the letter I, but then things get more complicated in the water. Unwanted letters start popping up, and a large C threatens to overturn the boat! These graphically lively red letters bring action and tension to the plot as menacing A's look like shark fins rising out of the water and angry B's swarm around them. In the end, boy and dog manage to hook F, I, S, and H and get safely back on dry land. In one final plot twist, readers discover that these letters were meant for an even bigger purpose (and word) as the boy and his dog bring them to the road race "(FI)NI(SH)" line, which is missing the caught letters and creating all kinds of confusion for the runners. Cartoon illustrations done in pen and watercolor use a limited palette of black, white, aqua, and red, giving the art striking contrasts and a retro comic feel. VERDICT This essentially wordless story uses visual details and letters to create a gripping story and a clever word game. A strong addition.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA c Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
New Yorker cartoonist Walsh's debut imagines the sea teeming with letters of the alphabet that act like fish. They're bright red, they swim and school and thrash about, and they can be caught with a pole and hook. When a boy and his dog set out in a rowboat and assemble, over the course of several spreads, an F, an I, an S, and an H, their work seems to be finished-except that they're beset by As, Bs, and Cs. The triangular As are circling sharks, the Bs swarm like buzzing insects, and a gigantic C wave washes over the boat, dashing the boy's hopes of bringing his catch home. But the dog has a surprise for him, and Walsh has a surprise for readers, who haven't realized that the boy has a very specific place he wants to put his letters. Walsh works in a deliciously retro style evocative of both vintage screen prints and the work of Hergé, and his graphic skills and visually storytelling are highly polished. It's a promising first outing. Ages 5-8. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
