Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Boy learns from his grandpa in warm family tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Young Art loves loading up the car with fly fishing gear and spending the day DOWN BY THE RIVER with his mom, grandpa, and family dog, hearing stories of how Grandpa taught his mom how to fish when she was Art's age, 8. Art experiences some frustration at not being the "natural" his mom was and getting his line tangled in a tree. But, in the end, he catches a fish and makes a promise to himself: I'll never forget this. The next page has the story's last line, "And he never did," above Art and his interracial family walking toward the river, as he presumably passes along the family lore and love of fly fishing.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet, gentle fishing tale celebrates family and the power of shared memories. It's a quiet story that moves with the rhythms of the river and its calm pools. It acknowledges the boy's feelings of frustration and incompetence as he compares his skills with those of his mother and captures his joy at finally casting well and catching a fish. Mainly, his pleasure comes from being with family, hearing his grandpa's stories, and having a memorable day out in nature.
Down by the River also offers a basic introduction to fly fishing, and April Chu's illustrations convey its intricacies and intimacies from varying perspectives -- close up, far away, and from a soaring osprey's-eye view -- in an autumnal palette of green, orange, yellow, red. Back matter explains and illustrates fly fishing practices (such as "catch and release") and vocabulary, and endpapers showcase the diversity of flies crafted by humans to fool the fish.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how fishing looks in Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story. Does it look fun? Hard? Would you like to try it if you never have?
What stories have you heard from your mom about what she did when she was your age? Do you like hearing family stories?
Have you ever tried a new sport and found it frustrating? Did you keep trying or give up?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : April Chu
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Harry N. Abrams
- Publication date : March 6, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 9
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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