The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Franklin, Kristine L.

The Gift

32 pp. | Chronicle | October, 1999 | Trade ISBN 0-8118-0447-X $$14.95

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. Jimmy Joe loves fishing, and when Fish Woman takes him on her boat, he catches his first Chinook--a huge salmon. But then they hear the "Pffffsst-HAH!" of killer whales exhaling through their blowholes, and Jimmy Joe throws his fish to one of the orcas, deciding that just seeing these whales is "better than catching a salmon." Vibrant oranges contrast with the subdued blues and greens of the ocean in the watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey