THE BIG ONE

An elderly fisherwoman and a young child join forces in hopes of making a great catch.

“The news spread like wind through the trees: The Big One was close to shore.” The townspeople have been trying to land the elusive fish (the type is never stated) for years. When young Marina—“the smallest of the town’s children”—asks Nana (“the oldest of the town’s elders”) if she can join her in her pursuit, Nana agrees, but the other fisherfolk are dismissive: “Are you sure you have the grit and the gumption?” Undeterred, the duo set off in Nana’s little boat. Nana steers while Marina scouts. Across their multiday mission (they do go home at night), the pair swap out their insufficiently seductive bait and try a new fishing spot, and their dedication leads them to a sea creature who outshines the Big One. Young readers will pick up on the book’s message: Achieving greatness isn’t dependent on age or physical might. Winningly, the book seems to be narrated by an old salt (“There was nary a nibble on their rose-ripe peach”). As befits a tale betraying no evidence of the digital age, Yim takes an analog approach to her art. Her dainty pastel-and-pencil illustrations, some of them frame-worthy, capture village and nautical details; collaboratively, the images offer a front-row seat to the fishing life. The protagonists are tan-skinned; their community is diverse.

A quietly triumphant intergenerational chase story.