This is the blue Stanley book as he takes to the water in search of the big one. We get another look at his trusty ’56 Chevy truck, this time with boat hanging well out the back. Stumped at his favorite hole, Stanley gets his signature epiphany while looking pulling up a trophy-size log. Why not fish in sky? It proves fruitful and—the good guy he is—returns all his bounty to the empty waters.

I loved illustrating this book. Much more complex than the previous Stanley’s, it involved lots of trees, water reeds, reflections, clouds and fish with lips (probably bass). Again, I played a lot with point-of-view including a few underwater cross sections. All that affords tremendous scale and cinematic depictions. Because these books are all double-page illustrations, there is room for subtle detail as well as super graphic renditions of things like the bobber that is as big as the page. Big pictures and few words—the way I like it!