Papa's Mechanical Fish

by Candace Fleming, Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)

Overview

Candace Fleming and illustrator Boris Kulikov pair up to tell a fun story about a real submarine inventor in Papa's Mechanical Fish

Clink! Clankety-bang! Thump-whirr! That's the sound of Papa at work. Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly, and that's because he hasn't yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?"—and Papa is off to his workshop. With a lot of persistence and a little bit of help, Papa—who is based on the real-life inventor Lodner Phillips—creates a submarine that can take his family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374399085
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	06/04/2013
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	369,239
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Candace Fleming is the author of many picture and young adult books, including Boxes for Katje, Gator Gumbo, and The Great and Only Barnum, a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. She lives in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

Boris Kulikov is the critically acclaimed illustrator of many children's books, including Max's Words by Kate Banks and Barnum's Bones by Tracey Fern. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Fleming, the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for young readers…and Kulikov, the dynamic illustrator of Max's Castle, are well matched for this particular eccentric.

The New York Times Book Review - Pamela Paul

This quirky tale—based on actual, less whimsical events of the 19th century—profiles a would-be inventor and his indulgent family. Out fishing one day, daughter and narrator Virena happens to ask, “Papa... have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a fish?” “Uh-oh,” interjects Virena’s prescient baby sister, as their inspired father races for his workshop. To a refrain of “Clink! Clankety-bang! Thump-whirrrr!” Papa sets to building a series of submarines, which he tests in Lake Michigan. Kulikov (Max’s Castle) pictures Papa’s wishful blueprints, optimistic dives, and soggy results; Fleming (Oh, No!) matches the outcomes to revealing remarks from the family, from Virena’s speculative, “Papa, how do fish stay dry?” to Mama’s, “I’m so glad I brought along this life preserver.” Gigantic orange fish and sturgeons observe and seem to aid in the experiments, and the family’s French bulldog glances at readers in comic disbelief. Fleming developed this tale from the real-life story of 1850s inventor Lodner Phillips and a submarine dubbed the Fool Killer; thanks to a bibliography, readers can research this oddball narrative alongside another daredevil history, Queen of the Falls. Ages 4–8. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Fleming's telling is lively, humorous, and specific.” —The Horn Book

“A humorous tribute to the zany, determined and innovative side of invention.” —Kirkus Reviews

“There's a rich history of batty inventor/tinkerer dads in children's books, and the girl narrator's father in this book could hang with the best of them.” —Booklist

“*The exuberant and inquisitive tone of this book is sure to entertain curious children.” —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

Gr 2–4—This picture book is a fictional account based on events in the life of eccentric inventor Lodner Phillips as told from the perspective of his daughter, Virena. Papa theorizes and tinkers but never succeeds. Finally, while the family is dropping lines from a pier into Lake Michigan, his daughter asks, "have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fish?" Immediately the man dashes back to his workshop and soon produces one of the world's earliest submarines, the Whitefish. Children will delight in the way Virena is the catalyst for her father's successive improvements to his primitive vessel as she continues to ask questions: about how fish move through water, stay dry, and know where they are going. Kulikov's luminous, playful, detailed illustrations on full-bleed spreads incorporate a variety of perspectives, including close-up views of fish and of Papa underwater and cutaway diagrams of his creations. An afterword is included. The exuberant and inquisitive tone of this book is sure to entertain curious children.—Anne Barreca, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

Young Virena, one of four children, provides inspiration for her aspiring inventor papa's latest ambitious construction: a submarine. Fleming bases her tale on the true story of Civil War–era inventor Lodner Phillips, who tried his hand at submarine design on the shores of Lake Michigan. In Fleming's lively, enthusiastic account, Papa builds three increasingly large and more complicated underwater vehicles, each of which sinks, with Papa emerging cheerfully, if damply, ready for the next round. As Virena muses on the nature of marine life, providing Papa with ideas for improvements, the baby interjects disarmingly funny comments: "No pee pee!" chortles the baby when Virena asks how fish stay dry. The Whitefish IV has room for everyone, and Papa puts his entire family into the contraption--somehow the cheerful presentation keeps readers from worrying about the outcome. Kulikov's expansive, comical illustrations offer exaggerated perspectives from above and below the deep blue-green water, huge and beautiful fish just under the surface and a loving family for the determined inventor. Blueprints for each version of the mechanical fish are included--a neat glimpse into the invention process--while the peculiarly human expressions on the family bulldog remind readers that this is a fantasy. An author's note and an extensive list of adult resources give background information about the real Lodner Phillips. A humorous tribute to the zany, determined and innovative side of invention. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews