Jangles: a Big Fish Story by David Shannon
David Shannon, award winning author
and illustrator of the NO, DAVID!
Books, spins the whopper of all fish tales in Jangles, a Big Fish Story. The narrator tells us a story that was told to him by his father when he was a boy,
about a mysterious gigantic trout which swims in the lake. The fish is named
Jangles, because he has so many fishing lures and hooks stuck in his mouth that
you can hear him coming, because they all clinked and clattered as he swam. The
narrator’s father spins a yarn about an encounter he had with this huge fish
one night when he was all alone in the middle of the lake, and how the fish
took him down to his secret and magical lair, spoke to him, and told him tales
of the time long ago before humans inhabited the earth. Lest one would be
tempted to not believe this fanciful tale, the narrator, then shows us proof.
What fisherman, child or adult,
hasn’t dreamt of catching “the big one?” This story was captivating. I found
myself enthralled with this tall tale, and drawn into the magic of the fish’s
story. The beautiful oil paintings set the mood for the story, from the
stunning colors on the ancient rainbow trout, to the colorful lures stuck into
his mouth. Detailed pictures showed lifelike expressions on the faces of the characters, and background colors call emphasize to
the action on the pages. For example, the background was red, when a foolish fisherman
accidentally blew up his boat with dynamite, and cool, dark and mysterious when
Jangles was pulling the narrator’s father through the water to his cave. I
highly recommend this story. Children and adults both will love it.
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