We love fishing!

Though pals Bear, Otter, and Porcupine profess the titular love of fishing, Squirrel, contrary to the insistence of Bernstein's (the Warren & Dragon series) perky narrator, does not: "Fish smell too fishy," he says, holding his nose, tongue out. But he joins his friends on their bucolic fishing expedition anyway, becoming increasingly cranky--about the walk through the woods to the water ("I stepped on a pebble"), the sheer boredom of sitting in the boat ("I ate all my nuts already. Nuts"), and the sudden rainstorm that Bear finds refreshing ("Rain makes my fur frizz"). When Squirrel lets Bear's big catch slide back into the water ("It's so slippery!"), the mood darkens for a moment, but the bonds of friendship are quickly restored--it helps when Squirrel summons a taxi and offers to pick up the dinner tab. Rosenthal (the Small Walt series) slyly sabotages his own sunny drawing style as he portrays the irritation that inevitably arises out of close relationships: Squirrel's misery is both relatable and funny, and the pals both oblivious and well meaning. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Mary Cummings, Betsy Amster Literary. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Feb.)

The deadpan narrator tells one story: "Bear, Porcupine, Otter, and Squirrel love fishing." Meanwhile, the pictures tell a slightly different version. While, in the cartoon spot art, Bear, Otter, and Porcupine do look lovingly at their fishing gear ("I love fishing"), Squirrel sulks over breakfast, a poster over the table declaring "I heart acorns." As the tale goes on, the gulf between the reiteration of "Bear, Porcupine, Otter, and Squirrel" all loving fishing and the pictures showing no such thing continues to widen. Squirrel hates the long walk, the fishy smell, the sitting around, and the fur-frizzing rain; the other creatures delight in every moment. Unfortunately, the day collapses for everyone when Squirrel accidentally drops their one slippery catch, and the wordless spread showing the four staring solemnly over the side of the boat as the happy fish swims away says everything. When Squirrel pulls out a cellphone to call a taxi and offers to buy dinner, it becomes clear, finally, that while all the friends may not always love fishing, everyone loves Squirrel (including the fish, one supposes). The exaggerated expressiveness in the bright illustrations, all the way to the fishy endpapers, makes the play between art and text especially enjoyable for sharing. Julie Roach March/April 2021 p.52(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.