A Season For Fishin' - Pamela Courtney

Valerie Bolling was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview her agent sister, Pamela Courtney, about her debut picture book, A Season for Fishin’: A Fish Fry Tradition. 

Let’s learn more about this beautiful book…

VB: Pam, I’m so excited for your debut. What’s your one-liner to describe this book?

PC: Chér and Papéré reel in a skillet full of Louisiana fun as the start of still water fishin’ and the flavors of the season’s first fish fry get underway... Let the Cane River fish fry begin. Howeeee! Sounds like fish fry Friday.  

VB: That’s a great description. I’m sure some readers are craving fried fish now. Tell us how this fish fry story came to be. 

PC: This book began as a poem in Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab class as part of a collection of poems for a novel in verse. However, it was suggested the poem would be a cool children’s book and that I had to add a young protagonist.  All of my childhood memories of running from house to house on Friday evenings tasting the neighbors’ fried fare poured. I didn’t, couldn’t, move until my protagonist caught and ate her catch. I wrote the draft in one sitting. This does not happen often. But when it does, y’all . . . it's pure magic.

Now, it has to be noted there were revisions after my completed first draft. I don’t like revising. However, my editor challenged me to add heightened depth to my character. So, I dug deeper. I researched for a second element that would add a new perspective to my character’s—well, character. 

Here's where I began adding layers to my character. My character wanted to be part of this family tradition of still water fishin’. What really is still water fishing? What would it mean to participate in this tradition? My character wanted to bring home a batch of bream for Maméré. What would this mean for the character’s standing in the family if she failed? What exactly are bream? The only thing I knew about bream is that it’s one of my mama’s favorite panfried fish. And the one thing my character needed to go still water fishin’ and catch some bream was a cane fishing pole. But what would that pole look like? AND how can it connect to this tradition? I researched everything. Oddly enough, through my research, I found so many interesting facts. I was having fun! 

Revision Fun Fact—During revision, I learned that bamboo, what we call river cane, is native to my part of Louisiana. That’s what many use to make the fishing poles. As a child, I thought cane fishing poles were ONLY made from sugar cane stalks. 

VB: It’s really interesting to hear about your process, Pam. I didn’t realize how much research you did for the book, and you seem to have had a clear vision for it. Did the illustrator’s vision match yours? Were there any sweet surprises? 

PC: I fell in love the first time I saw my character’s sweet face. So much joy. There are some places where the movement and energy leap off the page. Toni Chambers shares her vision through these rich, saturated colors. Now in my mind, I envisioned this story in pastels (think E. B. Lewis). In hind-sight, no way would that work with the text. Having said that, I’m so glad I was not the illustrator. What Toni brought to this story is so much more than what my writer’s eye could ever see. Now, one of my favorite images in the book is . . . no, wait. I have several favorite moments that Toni gifted. I loveLoveLOVE that she gave our character this layered quirkiness by giving her a pair of yellow galoshes and purple hair. Imagine the personality of this kid in yellow Wellies fishing off the riverbank of Ol’ Cane River. Imagine! The next thing that almost brought me to tears was the matching overalls and striped shirts that the character and her papéré wore. There is no way I would ever have thought of showing their bond, their intimacy, in that sweet, sweet, yet oh-so-familiar way. Everyone knows that families down south love any occasion to dress alike. LOL. I enjoyed the story Toni delivered. 

VB: It's obvious that you love Toni’s illustrations and the sweet details she added to the story. How do you hope young readers will experience this book? What suggestions do you have for parents and teachers who read this book to children?

PC: I wrote this book to share my multicultural experience in my rural Louisiana. I grew up speaking in a way I thought was purely unique to southern, Black American culture. However, the language of my childhood crisscrosses so many groups of people. Page after page shows that Black people are not a monolith. That’s important. Having said that, there are so many fun activities that can accompany this read aloud. Sharing the rich, yet complicated history of my hometown will be a fascinating lesson about powerful women in industry, the impact our waterways had on the nation’s economy, the influences of African, Tribal, and European peoples can be explored through food—so let’s cook up some Louisiana fare. Explore the sounds by sharing the multicultural blends of Zydeco music. Engage in the culture of the Mardi-Gras parade. This book demands you to have fun when creating activities. Laissez le bons temps rouler!

VB: Wow, Pam! This book is such a treat! What book(s) can we look forward to next from you? 

PC: I have a book coming out in Fall 2026 called Freedom’s Eve: A Story of Watch Night. I am working on a piece of little-known American history, a biography, and a rhyming nonfiction story I’m excited for y’all to learn all about. But you’ll have to wait for those. 

VB: We’ll look forward to Freedom’s Eve next year and your future titles. Thanks so much for chatting with me, Pam, on the KidLit in Color blog.

A Season for Fishin’: A Fish Fry Tradition is available wherever books are sold. Pam encourages readers to support their local bookstore. 

Pam’s Louisiana upbringing inspired her 2025 spring publication, A Season of Fishin’—A Fish Fry Tradition, Macmillan (FSG) and nurtured her life’s passion of writing, teaching, and enjoying culturally diverse music. Combining these loves Pam created MyLMNOP, 
a literacy and music program for early learners. With nearly three decades as an early childhood practitioner and elementary school teacher, Pam brings the eyes of an educator to each narrative she crafts, as she engages children in history, folklore, and the mysticism of her rural Louisiana culture. “My duty is great,” states Pam. “I’m a writer who teaches. I’m a teacher who writes.” 

Pam is the recipient of WeNeedDiverseBooks Mentorship, Highlights Diversity Fellowship, 
and the WeNeedDiverseBooks Walter Dean Myers Grant. Pam also serves as faculty for the Highlights Foundation. 

For more about Pam and her books... 

Website:  https://www.pamelacourtney.com/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pamismylmnop.bsky.social
IG: https://www.instagram.com/pam_is_mylmnop/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@pam_is_mylmnop
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pam_is_mylmnop?lang=en