A River Dream by Allen Say (1988) is a Paperback Plus book by Houghton Mifflin Company. Allen Say’s story is the first of four sections in what, at first glance, looks like an typical picture book. I recently discovered a few of Allen Say’s intriguing stories, so I was happy to find this one.. What a surprise to find information about trout fishing, including photographs of trout, streams, and tackle! There’s also a description of Fishing Dos Don’ts written by Anne Civardi and Fred Rashbrook, drawings of clothing, and a comic strip.
Say’s story has the magic one expects in a dream. His paintings are masterful. In Mark’s dream, his neighborhood transforms into a river. A rowboat rests conveniently nearbyhis home. Mark rows a short distance and finds his Uncle Scott standing in the water reeling in a fish. Uncle Scott hows Mark how to fish. The illustrations successfully communicate the thrill both characters experience. Say repeatedly says to return fish back to the river. I imagine some readers will dislike fishing simply or fun. But there it is.
