AMY GOES FISHING

Amy's Saturday begins on a down note, with her mother, brother, and sister all taking off for work, baseball, or Girl Scouts. Schweninger's picture of Amy and her dad left behind at the kitchen table is appealing and expressive in its low-keyed way, as are the other pictures that show the two of them going off, at her dad's suggestion, on a fishing expedition. It's a quiet day, with a nice moment--her father tells her about the muskrats who live in a ""brown bump"" they spot on the water--followed by a low one: Amy falls out of the rowboat and is mildly reprimanded for leaning over. There are more downers--Dad catches a boot, and discovers he's brought a hag of garbage instead of lunch--but then they run into old Sam who has sold them bait; and he shares his catch, his fish stories, and a tip which helps Amy make tree catch of her own. (""A real beauty,"" says Dad.) Pleasant and unspectacular, it's an experience to feel and to share--as both text and pictures suggest more than they say about the tenor of the day and the relationship between Amy and her father.