JAKE AND AVA

A tale of two youngsters told with alternating human and fish points of view.

Balcombe’s insightful juxtaposition of two youthful experiences wades through an emotional journey of learning and compassion. At each turn, Balcombe’s approach compares the naïve assumptions of a young boy named Jake and a juvenile fish named Ava, finding opportunities to recognize similarities across diverse perspectives as their storylines converge and paths prepare to cross. Jake’s outing with his grandfather begins as his first fishing trip and a meaningful time for learning with an elder. That morning finds the young fish Ava also setting off, to catch insects with her uncle, and learning the techniques and hot spots just as Jake learns from Grandpa. When Jake worries about how the worm may feel, readers get a hint as to what may be on the horizon for Ava. The grandfather and child in the story both appear White, with no noted ethnic or racial identities. Evans’ richly hued watercolors evoke fluid movement and a vibrant natural landscape filled with wildlife. The expressive features bring these lives into focus, building to a sequence with Ava first vividly centered and then pulled into tension with Jake; a picture of a sorrowful Jake gazing at an equally distressed Ava, hanging from the hook across the gutter, says it all. Illustrations and story harmonize well, highlighting vulnerability and the importance of compassion, and an informative endnote quells concern over anthropomorphic storytelling.

A sensitive topic swum with mindful strokes.