fish

3 Fantastic New Picture Books about Making Friends

| Tasha

Don’t Eat Eustace by Lian Cho (9780063321847)

Bear lived alone in a lighthouse. He spent his days fishing for lunch until one day he caught Eustace who begged him not to eat him. Bear also caught a colorful sail at the same time and almost threw it back into the sea. But when some other creatures need help, Bear finds himself helping out with Eustace’s encouragement. He makes a new wing for a heron, a coat for a shark, and a new sweater for himself. When evening comes Bear is very hungry and Eustace is already in the pot. What’s a bear to do? Cho has created a picture book that begs to be shared aloud. It has a wry sense of humor as Bear makes promises he has no intention of keeping. Meanwhile Eustace is trying to stay alive but along the way the two form a strong connection.

A book of new friends, crafts and funny fish. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins.

Field Trip to Dinosaur Valley by John Hare (9780823459575)

A teacher takes a class of children back in time using a time machine. Once back in the time of dinosaurs, the machine transforms into a dino-like structure that walks the landscape giving the kids a perfect view of the valley. The teacher lectures along the way. When one student decides they need a snack though things get a bit wild. A stolen lunch box turns into one student falling out of the machine and getting left behind. As they make the best of it by sitting down and eating their lunch, a variety of dinosaurs emerge to share the lunch or potentially having the student FOR lunch! 

This nearly wordless book is great fun, offering a humorous look at a visit to the past that will have young children creating a story to go along with the pictures. The illustrations are full of bright colors, leaving the old green dinosaurs in the past in favor of bright dinos covered in patterns. The students and teacher are in protective suits and goggles, adding to the modern feel of the story.

A visit to the past with a slice of pizza and other snacks to share. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Margaret Ferguson Books.

Make New Friends by Joshua David Stein, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio (9781949480559)

Tomasso is a new kid in school. He doesn’t know anyone at all. His father keeps asking him if he’s made any friends yet and Tomasso admits, not yet. Then he discovers two old balls in the school playground. He gives each one a face and names them Roland and Barry. Eating along in the cafeteria, he gives his carton of milk a face and the name Coco. When his dad asks again about friends, Tomasso tells him about Roland, Barry and Coco, describing them like classmates. Soon he is finding new friends everywhere, including erasers, socks, rocks and paper bags. His father wants to meet all these new friends and insists that Tomasso invite them over. What will his father do when he finds out the truth? 

A lovely look at shyness and newness and the power of art and creativity to save the day. Stein writes with such sensitivity and understanding about Tomasso’s situation. There is a joy in discovering the new toy friends he creates. While I don’t want to spoil the ending, it is that part of the book where it all comes together and is very special indeed. The art adds to the joy of the toy friends and the found family story that is so powerful. 

Satisfying, art-filled and an antidote to loneliness. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson – Book Review

| Tasha

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat (9780593616673)

At first the book is a basic primer on mammals, reptiles and birds. But when it turns to the subject of fish, it all becomes much more personal! A wide variety of fish are shown, but also called rebels and outlaws! You can’t see what they are up to underwater, plus they break all natural laws. What is happening in their “schools” anyway? So many questions and so much concerning behavior. By the end of this book, you may be questioning your pet fish too.

Completely silly, full of misinformation mixed with facts, this book is a glorious giggle to add to any story time. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi

| Tasha

Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi

Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi (9780544959002)

Crab loves to bake cakes. He makes them every day as all of the fish and ocean creatures do what they usually do too. Pufferfish puffs, Parrotfish eats coral, Dolphin blows bubbles. But when one night a disaster happens and a load of trash is dumped on their part of the ocean bed, no one knows what to do. Everyone else freezes, just staring at the mess. Crab though doesn’t freeze and makes a big cake for everyone to share. As the animals come together, they form a plan. It’s all thanks to one crab who just kept on doing what he does best.

Tsurumi’s picture book is filled with lots of small touches that bring this underwater world fully to life. The book reads aloud beautifully with quiet moments at first, the loveliness of crab making cakes for everyone, and then the disaster and its aftermath. It is a picture book that celebrates the creation of a community and the power of food to bring everyone together. It is also a book that looks at our oceans, caring for them and a love of the creatures who live there. The illustrations have a great cartoon look and feel to them that works well, creating moments of humor and drama very effectively.

A winning read for storytimes about fish, crabs or the environment. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

3 Deep and Watery Picture Books

| Tasha

Aquarium by Cynthia Alonso

Aquarium by Cynthia Alonso (9781452168753)

A little girl heads down to the dock near the water to watch the fish, dreaming of one day swimming alongside many fish at the same time. When a small orange fish jumps out of the water, she catches it in a water bottle and runs home with it. With a black hose, lots of containers, and plants, she creates a new watery space for the fish. When she swims along with the little fish in her pool though, the fish jumps out into a puddle. In that moment, the girl decides to return the fish to the sea.

This wordless picture book beautifully explores a little girl’s connection to nature and her own desire to be part of it and have a piece of it for herself. Through the images, one knows that the little girl means no harm, only to celebrate the fish and her connection to it. Still, readers will know that it will be a problem if the fish is kept from his home for too long. The illustrations are full of the blues of the sea which contrasts with the rest of the scenery that is left barely sketched and uncolored. It is water that really brings the book alive, combined with trees and rushes. A beautiful look at connecting with nature by preserving it. Appropriate for ages 3-5. (Reviewed from copy provided by Chronicle Books.)

Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers

Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers (9781481470377)

Finn lives by the sea, On the day that would have been his grandfather’s birthday, it is a good day for sailing and for building a boat, one that will help him find the place that his grandfather told him about, where the ocean meets the sky. So Finn spent his morning building a boat that was suitable for a long journey and then he took a nap. When he awoke, the boat was rocking in the sea and the journey had begun. As Finn got lonely in the open sea, a large golden fish emerges from the water and agrees to show him the way to the place he is searching for. They travel past Library Islands filled with birds and books, an island of giant shells, and a sea of glowing jellyfish. Until they finally reach the place where the ocean meets sky and Finn’s boat soars out of the water and into the sky, all before dinner.

This beautifully rendered book is exceptional. There is a lovely consistency throughout even in the more dreamlike sequences. The text is simple and inviting, creating a world that children will enjoy exploring alongside Finn himself. The book moves from a feeling of grief and loss that is handled with delicacy to hard work in honor of Finn’s grandfather and then into a world of dreams and wonder.

The illustrations move from black-and-white memories of Finn’s grandfather to pastels for the real world of today and then into sharp details and deeper colors of dreams. I love that the dreamworld is the most defined and colorful. Grandfather appears throughout the dreams in the form of the large fish and the moon. His presence is everywhere.

A lovely and layered picture book about grief, memories and wonder. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster.)

Water Land Land and Water Forms around the World by Christy Hale

Water Land: Land and Water Forms around the World by Christy Hale (9781250152442)

One of the most inventive uses of cut pages that I have seen! This picture book takes water forms and with a turn of the page creates corresponding landforms. A lake becomes an island. A bay turns into a cape. Strait and isthmus compare beautifully. It goes on and on. One will turn back and forth between water and land, stunned by the comparisons and the feeling of a complete ecosystem on the page.

It is the art that is central in this book. With cut pages, the drawings are active around the land and water forms. Boats and trucks cross land and water, diverse people play on the sand, sharks circle in the water. A brilliant book that will have young readers looking at water and land in a new way with plenty of terms to name what they are seeing. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from library copy.)

 

4 Compassion-Filled Picture Books

| Tasha

Letters to a Prisoner by Jacques Goldstyn

Letters to a Prisoner by Jacques Goldstyn (9781771472517)

This wordless picture book is almost a graphic novel in style. A father and daughter head out with protest signs marked with red circles that match the little girl’s red balloon. Waiting for them though are police in deep blue, who speak with blue squares. The red circle protesters are beaten with batons and taken away to jail. The girl’s father is held in isolation, dreaming about his daughter and their time together. Suddenly, the man gets mail but the guards don’t approve of it. More and more mail arrives from the mice and birds. The guards burn the letters, but the scraps fly into the air to be found by others around the world who write more letters in response. Soon the jail is buried in letters and the letters form wings that carry the man back to his daughter.

Based on the letter writing campaigns of Amnesty International, this picture book/graphic allows young readers to not only understand that people are jailed wrongly around the world but also to have a way to help. The illustrations have a wonderful energy to them. They show the despair of the jailed man but not without small glimpses of hope in the form of small animal friends. A strong message of unity and working together for justice pervades this book. Appropriate for ages 6-9. (E-galley provided by Netgalley and Owlkids Books.)

The Only Fish in the Sea by Philip C. Stead

The Only Fish in the Sea by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (9781626722828)

When Sadie and Sherman discover that Little Amy Scott threw the goldfish she got for her birthday into the ocean, they know that they have to do something. Sadie gets right to planning, immediately naming the goldfish Ellsworth. Helped by a small gang of monkeys in striped shirts and red bandanas, the children also borrow a boat, get a net and two long fishing poles, balloons, paint and slickers. They head out onto the ocean, trying to be patient as they try to catch Ellsworth before supper. Will their plan work? What will they do with Ellsworth if they save him? And what will happen to Little Amy Scott?

Stead’s writing works seamlessly with Cordell’s zany art. The story has lovely details that enrich the book, giving a sense of community, of a detailed plan and the joy of working as a team to rescue someone. The art by Cordell adds the wonderful monkeys and the pink balloons that keep sending their own messages. A wet and rainy riot of a picture book that is sure to make even the dampest child smile. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks, illustrated by Naoko Stoop (9780399554100)

The Big Freeze was coming to the Arctic and the wolves took shelter. But when the Big Melt came, one little wolf pup was stranded on a sheet of ice and unable to reach land. He swam and swam, finally falling asleep in a snowdrift. There, a polar bear found him. The little wolf was scared at first, but the polar bear offered to help him. She took him to her den, fed and cared for him. Even though she was not his mother, she could do many things for him like teach him where to fish and play together. As time passed, the wolf grew old enough to head out on his own. He met other wolves and led a pack. Then one day, he found a baby polar bear alone in a storm, and the seasons and cycles continue.

Illustrated by award-winning Stoop, the Arctic images are done on wood, allowing the grain to come through and form swirls in the blue sky. The white animals glow against the Arctic setting filled with blues and greens. Banks’ text is poetic and evocative as it describes the beauty of the Arctic and the wonder of care for others. A lovely picture book with a strong message of extended community. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (E-galley provided by Edelweiss and Schwartz & Wade.)

Shelter by Celine Claire

Shelter by Celine Claire, illustrated by Qin Leng (9781771389273)

The animals are all getting ready for a big storm. They have closed their doors and are making their dens cozy and warm. Two strangers arrive out of the blustery wind and begin to ask at each door for shelter. They have tea to offer, but one after another the neighbors all say no. The little fox though heads out with a lantern for them, but nothing more. As the snow begins to fall, the strangers know they will be fine. But the fox family’s shelter is failing due to the weight of the snow. Soon they are outside in the falling snow and asking for help themselves. Who will help them?

This book explains with a gentle tone and a non-didactic approach about the failure of community when it becomes isolationist and the power of kindness and compassion for those in need. After all, one might become the ones who need help eventually. The illustrations by Leng glow on the page. They show the lovely families together and their warmth with one another and the love they have. That is then turned quickly on its head as they turn away the strangers. A strong and simple tale that will lead to important discussion. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (E-galley received from Netgalley and Kids Can Press.)

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

| Tasha

the-bad-guys-by-aaron-blabey

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

This Australian import is the first in a fresh new illustrated chapter book series. Wolf has decided that he’s tired of being a bad guy so he recruits three fellow baddies to his new gang where they do good deeds. But it’s not so easy for Shark, Piranha and Snake to give up their own ways, like eating meat and people. Their first mission for good is to rescue a kitten stuck in a tree, but what kitten wants to climb down if they see those big teeth smiling at them? Their next job is to rescue 200 dogs from the dog pound. It involves Shark dressing up as a little girl, Wolf making a great shot, and Piranha and Snake showing the dogs the way out. But the plan doesn’t quite work out they way they want it too either.

This book has the pep and feel of a comic book, filled with large fonts that add attitude to the pages and lots of illustrations. In fact, because of its many illustrations it will be a welcome early book for new chapter book readers who will love the humor as well as the pictures that nicely break up the text. There is a great zany energy to the entire book with one joke leading nicely to the next. The pacing is cleverly done with just enough time to catch your breath from laughing before the action starts again.

Blabey’s illustrations are a large part of that manic charm. They are hugely funny. Emotions are shown broadly and wildly on characters’ faces. The shark barely fits into the car and not without a bump out for the dome of his head. There are incidents of eating one another and being bashed against walls. Each one is hilarious and children will love the slapstick comedy of it all.

A funny delight, this illustrated chapter book will have young readers begging for the next in the series. I know I can’t wait! Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

One Lonely Fish by Andy Mansfield

| Tasha

one-lonely-fish-by-andy-mansfield

One Lonely Fish by Andy Mansfield and Thomas Flintham

Released January 31, 2017.

One little lonely yellow fish swims in the ocean. But soon he is joined with one fish and then others, each following with their mouth wide open to eat the fish in front of them. Counting one to ten, the fish grow bigger and bigger. Eventually though, there is just one lonely fish on the page once again.

This simple board book has a great sense of humor. There is very little text to the book other than counting upwards, making it simple enough for very small children. The board construction is sturdy enough to make this work with toddlers. But be ready for the little ones to be very surprised and perhaps sad with the twist at the end. Still, the likelihood is giggles, not tears.

The illustrations are bright and colorful. There are two little red crabs on the bottom of all of the pages with the bright yellow sand who warn observant readers of the final twist a page ahead of time. The fish are a rainbow of colors and have a variety of patterns as well.

Energetic and colorful, you are sure to be hooked by this fishy picture book. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from Bloomsbury.

 

 

Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

| Tasha

Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

Barnacle Is Bored by Jonathan Fenske (InfoSoup)

Hanging off of the bottom of a dock is not the most exciting life. Barnacle has times of day when he is cold and wet and other times when he is dry and hot. The tide comes in and out, the waves roll in, the sun goes up and goes down. Barnacle is particularly jealous of the merry life of a polka-dotted little fish nearby. He knows that the fish has to have a lot more fun than Barnacle does. He must go diving with dolphins and frolic with other fish. Just as Barnacle is completing his fantasies about how much better the little fish’s life is than his own, an eel comes along. Gulp!

Put this down as another rather dark picture book that I adore. I must admit to having a type and this one is particularly pleasing with Barnacle being entirely jealous of what another fish has that he does not. It’s an emotion that children will relate to readily. The text is very brief and fast-moving. Barnacle’s voice is a pleasure to read aloud, from his slow tones of boredom through to the joys of being a fish and all the way to the end when he realizes what he actually has going for him.

The illustrations are very appealing and have the feel of a cartoon. Done in flat colors, they play up the facial expressions of Barnacle and the other fish to good effect. The looks of boredom are particularly clear and take it so far that it’s humorous. The page turns are nicely done as well, adding to the theater of the book.

Perfect for the boredom of summer days, this seaside book will surely refresh or at any rate give everyone a good jump at the end. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

Rain Fish by Lois Ehlert

| Tasha

Rain Fish by Lois Ehlert

Rain Fish by Lois Ehlert (InfoSoup)

Rain fish only appear when it rains, coming out of the debris in the gutters. Formed of lost receipts, bottle caps, feathers, socks, leaves and more. They swim down the streets, along the gutters and on the sidewalks. You have to look fast, because they disappear quickly. These are fish who swim off to different seas, unable to be caught by fishermen.

This picture book encourages children to look at debris and discarded items in a different way, seeing forms in them and wonder as well. The book’s text is simple, single lines of text on double page spreads which create rain fish that are larger than life. The end pages feature the various objects not made into fish with the objects labeled at the end of the book. This is a gorgeous book, playful and filled with artistic fun.

As always, the illustrations in Ehlert’s books are the treat. Here she captures the fluidity of fish, their forms and fins with a series of objects. The youngest of children may want to name the objects the fish are made of, making this art very accessible and an opportunity to talk about the illustrations. It is also a great introduction to collages and classes or groups could do their own fish or other animals.

Another solid and striking book from a masterful book maker, this picture book is another winner for Ehlert. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Beach Lane Books.