Old Salt, Young Salt
Kindergarten-Grade 2?As their father/son motorboat trip begins, Aaron feels deflated because he isn't allowed to help launch the boat. But his dad gets seasick out on Bodega Bay and injures himself, and Aaron's smart independent actions enable him to salvage the trip and catch his first salmon, too. The adventure's end finds the youngster proud and empowered with the nickname of "Young Salt." London uses a few recurring symbols (like the sun behind the clouds), which he evokes with a sweet, poetic touch. The rhythm of the story is effective at mirroring the flow of power and leadership from father to son. Too bad that the incidents incapacitating the man come out of nowhere, forced and contrived (why is a self-proclaimed Old Salt getting seasick, anyway?), and disappear just as abruptly. As in The Stone Lion (Scribners, 1994), Doney's paintings are powerful at conveying characters' moods amplified in the setting's magnificence. The best thing Old Salt has going for it is the beautiful authenticity of  Aaron's facial expressions, particularly when the boy is reacting to his dad.?Liza Bliss, Worcester Public Library, MACopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.