Fishing in the Air

Fishing in the Air
Written by: Sharon Creech
Illustrated by: Chris Raschka
Published by: Joanna Cutler Books 2000
Grades: K-3
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction, Poetry

Synopsis: This book is about a boy and his father who get up early to go fishing.  They set off on their trip hoping to “catch the air” and “catch the breeze.”  On their way, the father has his son use his imagination and turn the lamps into moons and the trees into soldiers.  At the river, the child “fishes” out of his father’s childhood:  finding out about his little gray house and its surroundings of green fields and a clear creek where he learned to fish.  At the end of the day, the father and son have not caught any fish, but they have caught so much more through the memories and the day and he has learned how to fish in the air like his dad. 

Theme/Skill: Fishing, Family, Imagination, Diversity.

 

About the Author: Sharon Creech

Sharon was born in South Euclid, Ohio and grew up surrounded by her sister and three brothers.  She often visited Quincy, Kentucky where her cousins lived.  This place that contained a farm with hills and trees helped her create many of her books including Walk Two Moons and Chasing Redbird and Bloomability.  In college, she took literature and writing courses which made her curious about story-telling.  She became a high school English and writing teacher in England and Switzerland.  Since then she has written adult novels and children’s literature.  Her first book published in the United States was Walk Two Moons which received the Newbery Medal.  She is currently married to Lyle Rigg and has two children, Rob and Karin. 

Source used  http://www.sharoncreech.com/meet/bio.asp

Pre-Reading Activities: In order to catch a fish, you need to use a fishing pole.  Start a discussion about fishing while letting the class look at the fishing pole you brought in.  Then show the class the cover and have them tell you what they think the story is about.  Then discuss with the class how and why people fish.  Some do it for recreation while others fish for something to eat.  Ask questions such as:  Have you ever been fishing?  Where you do you fish?  Have you ever caught anything?  Who do you go with?  Then explain that when you are fishing you may see different objects in the sky using your imagination.  Put on the board different cloud forms that can be interpreted into different objects and ask the kids what they think it is. 

For example clouds in the shape of animals:
   

Post-Reading Activities:  Talk about what the child found out about his house and what it looked like around it.  Then, have the children draw a picture of their house and the things that surround it.  Then, at home, have them ask their parents what their house looked like when they were little.  The children should draw what is described and bring it to the class to explain to everyone. 

Reflection:  I love the imagination this book brings out in students.  I think that it will give students more confidence in participating in class because images they see in pictures will not have any wrong answers because it is everyone's own opinion.  I think that the post-reading activity will also help children learn about what their families childhood was like and what they grew up in or with.  It will help them find out more about their parents and may help make them closer.  It helps show them what connects them to their family and will make them feel important when they share this information with their classmates.