The Biggest Fish in the Lake

Irene Punt is a published author and elementary-school teacher in
Calgary, Alberta.

Grandpa buys his granddaughter a spinning rod for her birthday. When
summer comes, they both head north to a log cabin on a secluded lake.
Early one morning, without waking grandpa, the young girl tiptoes down
to the dock to try to catch a fish. With a sudden jerk, the reel begins
to scream. A huge muskie with sharp teeth quickly pulls the line
straight toward the weeds. Using the skills she learned from her
grandpa, the young girl lands the magnificent creature, only to discover
that she doesn’t want to keep it.

This endearing story of a special bond between a grandfather and his
granddaughter is beautifully written by Margaret Carney and illustrated
with gorgeous paintings by Janet Wilson. My only reservation is the
water safety issue when the young girl is on the dock by herself,
struggling with her catch. The water appears deep, and though grandpa is
seen watching over her at the end of the book, showing the young girl
wearing a life jacket in the illustrations or clearly including the
grandfather in the entire adventure would promote better choices for
children around water. Also, it seems somewhat unrealistic that when the
granddaughter and grandfather share such a close bond, the young girl
would go fishing without him. Recommended with reservations.