Smallmouth Sonny, a book review

Smallmouth Sonny of Bass Island Bar
By Bill Schroeder, illustrated by James Billiter

I have to admit I was very apprehensive about this book for a couple reasons. One, I'm a huge believer in the Little Miami Conservancy who put out the book and if I didn't like the book I would constantly be asked about it since I've become, for good or bad, permanently associated with the Little Miami River myself. Secondly the author Bill Schroeder is a man who does the things he does for the Little Miami Conservancy with no other motive than trying to do good. Good for the conservancy, good for the river, good for the world as a whole. I'd hate it if I didn't like the book written by this man. 
I brought the book home and set it on my coffee table to look over later that evening. My granddaughter happened to be spending the night with us and came into the living room and picked up the book. With no prompting from me she sat down and began to read the book aloud. I sat and got my first taste of the book by listening to her read. 
The book itself tells the story of Sonny, a smallmouth bass in the Little Miami River, that as a small fry is swept downstream in a storm and must make his way home. Along the way Sonny and the reader sees and learns about the natural world around him. 
I love the fact that it is a book about the wonderful world right out the back door. Too often children only know and learn about the TV animals. You know, lions and tigers, polar bears and great white sharks. It took me a quite a while a couple years ago  to convince a child at LMC's visitor center that river didn't have great whites because the only fish she had ever been exposed to were ones on TV. 
As I listened to Kally read the book I realised there was no reason to be apprehensive. This book contains all the elements of a non-fiction book presented in a work of fiction which will hold a child's interest. All along Sonny's journey home he encounters one animal after another and there is a bit of background information on each. Additional back pages offer more information on these and other local animals and plants for older or more curious readers. After reading the book my granddaughter on her own continued reading this additional information asking a few questions and starting a conversation about local fauna. If you want to see that spark of curiousity light up in a child that's just learning that it's fun to learn, AND teach them that nature is all around us and not just something on TV there's no better book than this one.
If you have a child in your life please get them this book. Not only will they enjoy it and learn new things but you will also help support the Little Miami Conservancy and protect the wonderful Little Miami River.