Papa's Mechanical Fish - by Candace Fleming (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"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

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.