Book Description

Illus. in color. "An exquisite picture book. A little fish, the lone survivor of a school of fish swallowed by a tuna, devises a plan to camouflage himself and his new companions."--(starred) School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Review of Swimmy
Who couldn't love the adorable fish that devises the perfect plan. At first this tiny little black fish is the only survivor of his large group of red fish. All alone he sets off to explore the ocean I love how Leo Lionni describes the sea animals Swimmy meets along the way. "The sea anemones, who look like pink palm trees swaying in the wind" and "an eel whose tail was almost too far away remember." Finally Swimmy meets up with another group of friends but they are afraid to explore the ocean like Swimmy does. So Swimmy devises a plan where all the fish group together in the shape of a large fish with Swimmy as the eye. All together they are safe from danger. This book teaches children do many great lessons. It shows them how when you work together you can do anything! This is an excellent book to use in classrooms with young children!

Swimmy is a fantastic, inspiring fish for all ages!
This book is a must for every child's library. There are so many topics of discussion that can be brought out with just this one book. Friendship, courage, cooperation, and the ocean life are just a few. If you are a teacher, or have young children, this book is a must.

Note to teachers: I use this during my ocean unit in kindergarten. We then make an ocean mural. Every child makes a red fish and I make a black fish, which is Swimmy. We then work together to make all of our fish look like one big fish. The children love it!

I didn't like how the fish are eaten at the beginning.
I bought this book because the author is famous and it is award-winning. I don't like it at all, however, because at the beginning of the book all the little fish (except Swimmy) are eaten by a big fish. Basically they are all killed, which I thought was heavy stuff for a kid's book.
I am not against the concept of death in a kid's book, but I think it should be handled very carefully. Swimmy is similar to the movie Little Nemo--the death scene is unnecessary and disturbing.
I wish I hadn't bought this book.

It's like Rainbow Fish. Only good.
Ah, Swimmy. You charming little guppy. This books wins the award for Subtlest-Book-About-Diversity for 1963. It is wholly and entirely charming. Swimmy is the only little fish amongst his brothers and sisters who was born black instead of red. A faster fish than all of them, Swimmy has the mixed blessing of being able to out swim a big fish that has come to devour his family. Poor Swimmy is left all alone in the world, but his sadness doesn't last for very long. The undersea world is full of wonders, including medusas made of rainbow jelly, a forest of seaweeds growing from sugar candy rocks, and sea anemones that look like, "pink palm trees swaying in the wind". When Swimmy stumbles across another group of small red fish, his quick thinking helps them to band together to fight the larger fish in the sea.

For any kid that loved "Finding Nemo", I think this book would be an excellent companion. The lesson is twofold. One is that when people band together they can fight the unnaturally large problems facing them. Another is that being different, like Swimmy, can be a wonderful thing. I'm sure you're going to read reviews from people decrying this book as Communist propaganda (after all, it's a bunch of red fish finding strength in numbers to defeat the more powerful members of society that were previously eating them), and that's fine. It could definitely be read that way, and there's nothing wrong with that. But for those of you who feel that the book was probably meant to be read as a story for children and that's that, you're undoubtedly more correct.

Leo Lionni is a magnificent artist, by the way. No one draws jellyfish with as much light and airy oomph as he does. The sea's wonders are all alight here, with little black Swimmy eyeing each and every one. There's a beauty to these watercolors that is difficult to find anywhere else. Even today, with our high tech picture book wizardry and computer generated images, nothing looks as pleasing to the eye as Lionni's tendrils of swaying anemones. Originally published in 1963, the book has not aged. Looking at it today, it never will.

Terrific for all ages
Here is the perfect primer for teaching young people about the importance of organizing! Grassroots politics at its best! ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you read this very popular book just before bed, and the light is still on in the hallway, you can make the rainbow scales glitter on the page, and realize why the Rainbow Fish was so proud of his beautiful decoration. Sometimes, though, being too proud of outside beauty can blind a fish, or a child (or even, heaven forbid, a parent) to the beauty people hold inside. That's the lesson of this simple tale, imported from Switzerland. It's a useful one for future sneaker and designer clothing shoppers, for rainbow fish--and for quieter, plainer minnows, too. ... Read more

Reviews (116)

A Wonderful Book About Sharing
Although some would argue that this book teaches people to buy friends, I do not see it in this light. The book simply encourages children to give of themselves to others. As the rainbow fish shares his scales, he feels good about giving a part of himself to make others happy. I don't see how giving oneself to others qualifies as buying friends. My three-year-old son absolutely LOVES this book. He memorized the whole storyline in about a week. He loves to tell me the story as we flip the pages. The illustrations are colorful and exciting for a three-year-old. I would recommend this book as the basis for a discussion on sharing, not on buying friends, but sharing of yourself. This oldfashioned concept is threatened in our ME world.

Bad message for children.
My cousins, who live in a socialist European country, recently visited us in the U.S., and gave this book to my children as a gift. I love my cousins but think this is a horrible book. The message is clear: if you are better than anyone else, or rise above your peers in any way, no one will like you, and you will be lonely and miserable, as well as the target of envy and sometimes hatred. However, if you bring yourself down to their level, or pay them off, you will be most popular! The book reflects the mentality of the socialist, and demonstrates altruism at its worst. Everyone must be the same, and no one can excel at anything or in any way. The rainbow fish teaches children that it is good to strip yourself raw for the benefit of others, who were never your true friends to begin with, but only wanted something from you and based their acceptance of you on what you could provide for them. You know, kind of like that bad friend in school who loves you when you're down and out, but can't stand it when you lose weight and are looking good or happy or successful. Once the rainbow fish has taken off and given away all its beautiful scales, it is no longer the prettiest fish. The other fish, who each got a scale, are not elevated, but rather, they're all dragged down to the lowest common denominator. One scale each. Not enough to make anyone prettier than anyone else -- no one can really shine. It's not about sharing and love, but more like emotional bribery. I give this book one star, only because I have to, and the illustrations are pretty. Steer clear.

Under the sea
A great children's author (who, for the sake of her privacy, shall remain nameless) once commented that "The Rainbow Fish", was the third in the triumvirate of picture book mediocrity. The first two being, of course, "Love You Forever" and "The Giving Tree". I don't feel like explaining why this statement is not only brilliant but sublime, so instead I'm going to review this seemingly innocent little picture book. Here we have a very dull book with a very poor message. In my humble opinion, it hardly deserves much notice.

Originally a Swiss picture book (who knew?), "Rainbow Fish" tells the tale of a little sparkly fellow below the sea. The Rainbow Fish glitters and glides in the ocean's depths, ignoring the calls of the other fish to come out and play. One day a little fish asks for one of his shiny scales. The Rainbow Fish is not exactly polite in his refusal, but for some reason this is the comment that causes all the other fish to make him a social pariah. The Rainbow Fish is a little upset by this and asks the advice of a wise old octopus. Unfortunately the octopus is of the opinion that Rainbow Fish should give away the very things that make him special. His shiny scales. Once he has given a scale to all the other fishes he'll look exactly like everyone else and be happy. He does and then is. The end.

I suppose if you looked at this book from a religious context it might make a little more sense. But even then the moral would still run along the lines of give-up-your-worldly-possessions-and-everybody-will-like-you. Hm. What makes this book so offensive to some readers is the simple fact that it's is preaching a kind of same = good mentality. Tis better to meld with the crowd than to hold onto that which makes you an individual and unique, it sayeth. Then there are the illustrations to contend with. In an interesting marketing technique, the shiny scales Rainbow Fish sports are small hologram-ish cut-outs that line his body. Little kids will, presumably, see the shiny things on the cover of the book and immediately grab it. But how stand the rest of the illustrations? Certainly the colors in this tale are luminous and lovely. Pfister has developed a lovely watercolor technique wherein the blended shades of the scenes work perfectly within the context of the story. Unfortunately, the actual illustrations themselves are fairly hum drum. Don't expect the breathtaking loveliness of Eric Carle's "Mister Seahorse" or even the originality of a similar seaside tale, Irene Haas's, "The Maggie B.". Characters here never change expression (except that once in a while their little fishy mouths curl either up or down as appropriate). As a gimmick, the shiny scales work well. Just don't pay much attention to anything else in this tale.

The best advice I can give regarding "The Rainbow Fish" is to recommend Leo Lionni's classic picture book, "Swimmy". Like The Rainbow Fish, Swimmy's a little guppy who's different from everyone else. But rather than, oh say, changing his scale color to blend in, Swimmy uses his unique position in society to help those around him while remaining true to himself. A powerful statement that "The Rainbow Fish" sorely lacks. I'm not saying this is the worst picture book ever written, mind you. Just a mediocre one. With all the wonderful picture books out there, why not grab the best and leave the rest? Or, if we're going to take the advice of the Rainbow Fish to heart, do what everyone else is doing and strive for mediocrity. Hey, it worked for him!

Celebration of Appeasement and Mediocrity
We own this book only because my wife ordered it from a book club. Had we looked at the book, we never would have bought it. My two-year old has not seen it, nor will he. He has enough good books. And this book is bad. The book is so bad, destructive, immoral, and wrong that I have trouble figuring out where to start. Well, let's start with the "moral(s)" of the book, which can be summed up as follows: (1) being special is evil, and worthy of hatred; (2) if you do not give your possessions away to others on their demand and pursuant to their coercion, you will be rightfully hated; (3) you will be happy only if you are mediocre; (4) you need to bribe people to be your friends. And the message here is not about sharing. Notice, the Rainbow Fish does not "share" his scales (sharing would imply that his friends were going to give the scales back when they are done.) No, the Rainbow Fish is compelled (by emotional coercion) to give away that which makes him special. What part of this story is supposed to be edifying? It is garbage.

Pretty pictures, emotionally damaging story
I was relieved to see so many other bad reviews of this book, because I had thought I was crazy. I knew this was a very popular book (posters, puppets, etc.) so I bought it and was shocked at how bad the story was. When the Rainbow Fish chooses not to give his beautiful shining scales to another fish, all of the fish swim away and leave him "all alone". Thanks to a wise octopus, he discovers the only way to win friends and be the "happiest fish in the sea" is to give away his scales. I'm a teacher and a parent, and this is just a really bad lesson to be giving to a child, especially one under three years old who has little experience interacting with other people and forms ideas and expectations about the world based on books, tv, familial messages, etc. It is just beyond bad if your child is already sensitive and non-aggressive.

I changed the words to this book, but my daughter is almost three now and can pick out certain words (that she knows I'm not reading!) and asked me to read the "real" story. I explained that I wasn't crazy about the story, and promptly disposed of the book. I did not even consider donating it to the library or selling it to a used bookstore, because I don't want to be part of perpetuating this story! It is that bad.

Please do your children and society a favor and skip this book. Unless "give other kids all of your special, favorite things or else they'll all hate you and you'll be lonely and sad forever" is a moral lesson you want to teach your children, you'd be better off choosing one of the gazillion excellent children's books out there. Try anything by Richard Scarry, Byron Barton, Sandra Boynton, Eric Hill, Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, etc. etc. etc................ ... Read more

Amazon.com

Are you ready for a scintillating seahorse fact? The father seahorse isthe one who carries the mother's eggs around in his pouch before theyhatch. In Mister Seahorse, master collage artistEric Carleteaches preschoolers this lesson and introduces them to a few other fishwho bear the traditionally maternal burden of caring for eggs: thestickleback, tilapia, Kurtus nurseryfish (known here as Mr. Kurtus),pipefish, and bullhead catfish. As ever, it's Carle's art that stealsthe show. Cut-up tissue paper soaks up the watery paint and makes for aboldly colorful, almost jewel-like undersea journey. The story? Well,repetition is the heart of instruction, after all.

Most of Carle's books employ some sort of gizmo or gadget--and this oneis no exception. Here, for a splendid lesson in camouflage, colorfulacetate sheets mask marine life that is revealed as the child turns thepage. Children may take comfort in the devotion of these underseafathers...except perhaps at the very end when the father seahorse saysto a freshly hatched sea-pony who wants back in the pouch: "I dolove you, but now you are ready to be on your own." (Preschool)--Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ERIC CARLE BOTH ENCHANTS AND ILLUMINATES
We first met Eric Carle through the pages of The Hungry Caterpillar, and we've been devoted fans from that day to this. As an author/illustrator his enthusiasm and imagination never ebb as he again fashions collage illustrations that catch and hold our eyes. Seahorse is one more achievement.

Basing his witty and informative tale on fact young readers are introduced to Mr. Seahorse, a fish father who looks after his young. It is, of course, Mrs. Seahorse who lays the eggs, right in Mr. Seahorse's pouch.

Mr. Seahorse is not the only fish father (we might think of him as a house husband) in his watery world - there's also Mr. Bullhead, Mr. Pipe, and Mr. Kurtus.

As always, Eric Carle both enchants and illuminates.

- Gail Cooke

Beautiful artwork, beautiful story
The luminious collage artwork and sweet story line don't leave anything to be desired. A wonderful addition to young libraries, and a great way for dads and their children to spend time together.

Eric Carle does it again!
Perhaps it's the watery images or my love for the ocean that drew my heart, but I love this book! Mister Seahorse is a winner, even if the younger ones don't fully grasp the depth of meaning Carle intended. Children innately sense the mystery of life because they themselves know they came from someone, too.
And, like the little baby seahorse, one day they will need to be on their own also. As Crush, the lovable sea turtle in Finding Nemo says, "Sweet, totally."

Not what I expected
We are huge fans of Eric Carle's books, but the storyline did not flow well at all. It was over my child's head, although he loves the pictures which are beautifully done. I agree with the other reviewer--the story ended abruptly and just wasn't as well written as his other books.

Beautiful artwork...disappointing storyline
Mr. Seahorse and Mrs. Seahorse are going to be parents! Mrs. Seahorse lays the eggs in Mr. Seahorse's pouch and then he has the job of taking care of those eggs until they hatch. As he waits, he meets several other father fish who are in charge of their eggs or babies. In the end, the babies successfully leave Mr. Seahorse and his life goes back to "normal." This is a beautiful book--in typical Eric Carle style--with amazing artwork and soft colors befitting the ocean. The storyline, however, leaves much to be desired. It's a unique idea, as this book tackles various creatures of the sea that usually don't get specific mention in picture books, but the method falls short of it's potential. The ending is quite abrupt, and readers will feel something is missing. Overall I was disappointed with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in color. "Comic pictures show how the fish rapidly outgrows its bowl, a vase, a cook pot, a bathtub."--The New York Times. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

You can say "Don't" but boys always do...
I know that there are all sorts of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm that all supposed to terrify little kids with stories about beasts in the woods and such. But when I look back on my childhood and recall the stories that gave me the wiggins, one of the books on that short list was "A Fish Out of Water" by Helen Palmer. Yes, this "I Can Read It All By Myself" book from the Cat in the Hat "Beginner Books" series with the illustrations by P.D. Eastman gave me the creeps. You see, this particular little tale has working in its favor a couple of scientific facts and I was reading this book at a time when our school class would go outside to watch the Mercury rockets take off from Cape Canaveral and we would go out to duck and cover in the school hallway during bomb drills. So it was clear to me at an early age how dangerous science could be.

The story in "A Fish out of Water" is quite simple. A young boy, not unlike myself except that he has long hair (relatively speaking in my case at that age), goes to the fish store and pick out a goldfish to purchase. The boy decides to call the fish Otto and is told by Mr. Carp the correct way to feed him: "When you feed a fish, never feed him a lot. So much and no more! Never more than a spot, or something may happen! You never know what!"

Of course the young boy does give Otto more than "so much" and he learns what happens when you feed a fish too much. One of the scientific principles here is that too much of good things can be very bad, especially is the good thing there is too much of is food for a fish. The other scientific principle is that goldfish tend to grow in size in proportion to the container in which they are contained. So the idea that a goldfish can GROW is grounded in truth and even as a kid I knew this. Besides, all the police and firemen in town know better than to feed a fish too much, so there are all sorts of authority figures reinforcing the lesson here.

OKAY! OKAY! I HAD A GOLDFISH AND I FED IT TOO MUCH AND IT DIED! IT IS GUILT, OVER FORTY YEARS OF ACCUMALATED GUILT GNAWING AT MY SOUL THAT MAKES ME CRINGE WHEN I READ THIS BOOK! ALL MY GOLDFISH DIED. SO DID THE TURTLE SOMEBODY WAS FOOLISH ENOUGH TO GIVE ME WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE. NOW I HAVE A CAT AND WHO KNOWS HOW SHE HAS MANAGED TO SURVIVE THIS LONG; I FEEL I AM TEMPTING FATE JUST BY MENTIONING HER HERE.

So if you are a young kid reading this book for the first time and you have a gold fish or any other sort of pet that requires feeding, pay attention to the rules and always obey them. Then you and your pet can have a long, loving relationship and grow up to become a well adjusted human being who will not be emotionally crippled by unexpected trips down memory lane while reading a book for the first time in forty-plus years.

A real winner with kids
My three year old son has loved this book to be read over and over and over since he was two. The subject, combined with the pictures can help a child develop expressive language. When the fish keeps getting bigger, and the boy goes through all that trouble trying to move his fish, Otto, into bigger and bigger containers, my son's eyes get big and he gasps and looks at me and says "Oh no!"

This is a delightfull tale of a little boy who feeds his fish too much, and the extremly silly, or dire(depending on your age how you see it) consequences. In the end, the pet store owner comes to the rescue after the police and firemen have done thier part to try to help get the fish more comfortable. A good lesson about listening to, and following instructions, and asking for help when you need it is within the story.

My 3 yr old not only LOVES it - She is obsessed with it!
If book devouring 3 yr old had a top ten list, this might be up there as number 9 or 10.....she has loved this book since she was about 2 yrs old and not only loves it but has transferred things from it to her everyday speech! Example: When she wants to stay up later then usual fro example , she says "Please Mommy, just so much and no more!" as quoted from the book..... also when I ask if she wants milk for example she says "Just a spot!"......and adds sometimes "You never know what can happen, you never know what!"

For awhile it WAS the bedtime book.....now we have gone on to other things but she never turns down this book if I ask her if she wants to read it....Mista KAR-p as she says in her NY accent.......

The downside of it being a bedtime book? It you want a SHORT story, this one is kinda long ....especially if you have a toddler you screams "AGAIN! AGAIN!" before you are even on the last page......: )

A Fish Out of Water
This story starts of with a little boy going to the pet store to buy a fish. He picks out the one he wants and names him Otto. Mr. Carp, the pet storeowner, tells the boy how to feed Otto. "Never feed him a lot. Never more than a spot! Or something may happen. You never know what."

When the little boy gets home, he feeds Otto just a spot, but Otto isn't happy. He wants more food. Our hero remembers what Mr. Carp told him, but disobeys and feeds Otto the whole box of fish food.

Then something happens, just like Mr. Carp said. Otto begins to grow. He grows and grows, until he is too big for the bathtub. The little boy calls the police, who tow poor Otto to the pool, but soon Otto is too big for that too. Mr. Carp gets called, and shrinks Otto back to his normal size, and says to the boy "And from now on, PLEASE don't feed him too much. Just so much, and no more!"

The pictures in this book are bright, colorful and expressive. The story teaches the importance of following directions in a way that isn't too obvious or preachy. The reason I give this book 4 stars instead of five stars is that the writing doesn't flow overly well. The way the writing is arranged looks as if it should rhyme, and some of it does, but for the most part it doesn't. Other than that I like the book.

Loggie-log-log-log

A keeper
I'm 47 years old and I still remember the details of this book from when I was a kid -- that's how good it is! It was a favorite, and I read it (or had it read to me) over and over again. My mother, who is a retired reading teacher, tells me the kids she taught also loved it. I don't have kids myself, but if I did, this book would definitely be on their bookshelf. A classic! ... Read more

Amazon.com

From the tiniest krill to the large gray whale, ocean creatures swim madly through Wish for a Fish--you'll be impressed with just how much information gets packed into the clever Seuss-style rhymes. Cat in the Hat, aboard the S.S. Undersea Glubber, narrates this fact-filled story of life under the sea, along with sidekicks Thing One and Thing Two. You'll learn all about the ocean's food chain, different light zones, and fascinating information about the large mammals that live there. The phonics-based word patterns make excellent early reading practice for any little beachcomber. How can you go wrong with catchy paragraphs like "baleen fills the blue whale's mouth like a grill. As water flows through it, it strains out the krill?" --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wish for a Fish
Dr Seuss books have done it again. In this magical adventure you get to learn about all kids of sea creatures and the different levels of the ocean. It is a must have for anyone who has children tha love Marine Life. My daughter has this book memorized from cover to cover and it is so factual. I highly recommend this book to any parent or educator. Not only is it fun, but very educational. I learned a lot also! ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. A modern fable of a minnow who wants to follow his tadpole friend--who becomes a frog--onto land. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Delightful Book
FISH IS FISH is a delightful book. It's fun for children, and a pleasure for adults to read out loud. The illustrations are beautiful. Two young "fish" are friends. One fish stays a fish; the other turns out to be a tadpole. The real fish refuses to believe that his friend is changing. How like real life! After tadpole goes up on land, he actually has more to add to their friendship - great stories about what he has seen on earth! When fish jumps onto land to explore, he almost dies. Tadpole saves him. In the end, both fish and tadpole are happy with their own unique worlds. Fish tells tadpole: "You were right ... Fish is fish." This story is so simply and wonderfully symbolic of how friends can remain friends, even when they change as they grow up.

Beautoful and Subtle. I Love This Book!
This fanciful and colorful book is about a fish and tadpole who become friends while living in the same pond. Tadpole soon grows legs and leaves the pond. Fish is lonely without him and tries to follow. Disaster! The gently presented lessons in this book stir me still. The words are simple, but the meaning, real and multi-faceted, is accessible to all ages.

Things are not always what they seem
The book's message--sometimes what is best for you is right before your eyes. This book teaches basic information about frogs and fish. It has beautiful colors which captivate the children's imagination and interest. Thoughtfully and creatively written, one of my favorite Leo Lionni books. This is a book which captivates the interest of chldren of all ages. My pre-school age children love this book, as does the elementary age children in my classroom. ... Read more

Book Description

Now Rainbow Fish's third exciting adventure is available in a mini book and audio cassette package to delight his legion of fans. It's a whale of a tale in which a terrible misunderstanding escalates, putting Rainbow Fish and his friends in great danger, and Rainbow Fish must try to make peace with a big blue whale to save them all from disaster.

Children will be enchanted by the glittering holographic foil-stamped illustrations as they listen to the spirited reading by Blair Brown, the multitalented star of stage, screen, and television. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale ~ Marcus Pfister
THis is a good book on not judging people by the first impression. PEople thses days have to learn not to judge epople by looks. Just becasue someone looks different doesn't mean they are different. IF someone is bigger than you, it doesn't make them a bully. A lot of people make stereotype's and think people are mean because of their size. Yet they have to that it whats on the inside that counts.

We all judge people at one time or another, its natural. We just have to learn to except people for who they are. I like this book because it shows how people treat others in modern life. This book shows how to except others. I also like it because judging is not a good think, it the good qualities we need to look for i a person, not the bad ones.

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale
This book, a continuation of the Rainbow Fish series, is about a group of fish with shiny scales. They live near a Coral reef and eat all the krill they want. One day, a big blue whale came. He started eating the krill, and staring at the fish. The fish are afraid that they will become whale food! How will Rainbow Fish and his friends deal with the whale? Read this book by Marcus Pfister to find out!

lots of lessons taught
I love this story. ... I think it teaches lots of lessons. For example, it teaches how it is wrong to make snap judgements about others. It also teaches how to work out differences, and meet with people that are different.

Another great Rainbow Fish story
I love reading Rainbow Fish to my son. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories carry wonderful social lessons. I especially like this "big board book" copy. No easily ripped pages for little hands.

Big and Little Need to Cooperate to Prosper!
Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale is the third in the Rainbow Fish series. In the first book, Rainbow Fish has to learn to share his glittering scales in order to be accepted. In the second book, Rainbow Fish to the Rescue, Rainbow Fish learns to help those in need, even if they are different. Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale builds on the theme of Rainbow Fish to the Rescue . . . except by exploring differences on a larger scale. The book features the same beautiful illustrations and glittering highlights that made the first two books so much fun to look at.

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale is based on a misunderstanding. The fish and the whale are both attracted by the krill (small shrimp-like creatures) that live near the reef. The whale also enjoys seeing the sparkling highlights on the fish. One of the fish develops a fear of the whale. When the whale comes close one day, the jagged fin fish says, "Look out! . . . The wicked whale is after us!"

The whale's feelings are hurt, and the whale becomes angry. The whale chases the fish into a cavern and waves its tail so violently that the krill are dispersed. Soon, whale and fish are hungry.

Rainbow fish overcomes his fear. "We must make peace with the whale." "Please let's talk." "This fight was all a big mistake. It drove off the krill and now we're all hungry."

The whale makes peace. "Come now! said the whale." "Let's find new hunting grounds." "And before long, none of them could remember what the terrible fight had been about."

The story is a good one to read to both older and younger siblings. For the older ones, it shows the importance of not being threatening. For the younger ones, the lesson is to assume that size does not mean menace . . . even when it feels intimidating. For both children, the book explores that words can hurt, and have unpleasant consequences. The benefits of being considerate and sharing are also displayed. For me, this book contained all of the best elements of the first two books while reminding the reader of them by the visual cues of shared sparkles on all but the striped fish.

Children who are afraid of anger will probably want to avoid this book, although most should be fine with it by the recommended ages of 5 and higher. I suspect that most 4 year olds would love it.

Where else do large and small have to cooperate? You might want to share those examples with your child in order to create a more complementary view of how the world can work.

Seek ways to build strengths from differences!

... Read more

Book Description

More than 15 sound buttons guide children through this interactive storybook as a star character leads the way. An interactive game and game board are included for extra playtime fun. ... Read more

Book Description

Can a fish talk? Can it jump and play and run -- especially run -- just like a small boy? When Lakas and his dad go shopping, they meet a very special fish that can do all these things and more! But this fish won't stay put in its fish tank. Once it leaps out, a cast of unusual Manilatown characters chases it down Kearny Street and all the way to San Francisco Bay. Hoy, hoy! Will Lakas and his friends ever catch this sly and charming fish? Lakas and the Manilatown Fish/Si Lakas at ang Isdang Manilatown is the first-ever bilingual English-Tagalog story set in the U.S., reflecting the historical heart of the Filipino community. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

HO, HOY!!! FUN, VIBRANT STORY!
WOW! Did you know that Filipino fish could KISS??? Muuuuua! My nieces are in love with this bilingual (Filipino/English) story. It takes them through Manilatown following a singing fish. The illustrations are vibrant and alive. Makes you want to go out and find a kissing fish!

We own almost every book by Children's Book Press. They suddenly jumped from storytales to FUN books. Another bilingual (Spanish/English) book that I highly recommend from this press that just came out is DRUM, CHAVI, DRUM!/TOCA, CHAVI, TOCA! The little girl character is feisty and funny. It is set in Little Havana's Calle Ocho Festival. I commend Children's Book Press for being the first to publish books that are the first of their kind. An applause for this outstanding filipino book! ... Read more

Book Description

Poor Big Al! He just wants to make friends. And in the whole wide blue sea you can't find a nicer fish. But because Big Al is large and scary-looking, the little fish are afraid to get to know him.

What can he do? He tries everything he can think of -- from disguising himself with seaweed to burrowing under the ocean floor so he'll look smaller. But something always goes wrong, and lonely Big Al wonders if he'll ever have a single friend. Then one frightening day, when a fishing net captures the other fish, Big Al gets the chance to prove what a wonderful friend he can be! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The illustrations give life to an important lesson...
Big Al is truly the scariest-looking fish, but - like all of us - he just wants to be accepted by his peers. In fact, he does everything to be accepted: Wraps himself up in seaweed, puffs himself up, hides in the sand so others will come close, changes color to match a passing school of fish, but to no avail. Then comes Al's chance to save the day and make some friends.

Yoshi's illustrations are rich and give life to Al's world underwater.

I've used this book in my classroom for kids to understand how we are all unique in our own way, but we each have a strength to offer others.

Lesson: Be yourself!
This has a charming story, and wonderful illustrations. Kids can learn about being themselves and being a good friend by Big Al's example. It has a heroic main character who saves the fish who had refused his friendship. What I think could have been done better/differently is to play up the ideas that no matter what you look like, you can be a good friend, and that it's important to be yourself. Clements ends the story a little too suddenly to explore that idea, in my opinion. It does, however, leave room for classroom or parental discussion once the story has been read. This is a sweet book, with a nice message, even if it's not terribly obvious.

Perfect story!
So many kids books that deal with real life issues often cop out by having the character solve the problem in a way that kids couldn't possibly apply to their own life. This book is a shining example of how to achieve what so many authors cannot: solving a real problem in a real way that can be applied to real life. Beyond the beauty of the lesson, "Don't judge by appearance", is the beauty in the way the story is told. The artwork is a superb extension of the text. Buy this for every child you care about.

great family book
I'm a mother of 2 sons,one 20 year old & a 9 year old. My eldest son read this book and said this book was about him.You see his name is Allen and he is 6 foot 6 inches and 300 pounds. This book sits on our coffee table in our living room. Everyone that reads this book identifies with it. We are donating it to our school library.

Beautiful Pictures and a moral to the story
Not only are the pictures absolutely eye-popping in Big Al, but the story carries a very important moral: to not judge by appearance. I first recieved this book when I was 6 years old, and now I'm 16. Even though 10 years have passed, I still find myself thinking of Big Al when I judge a person. ... Read more

Amazon.com

McElligot's Pool is a Seuss classic from the distant era before even The Cat In The Hat. It's a single poetic variation on the theme of adult skepticism that's no match for childhood faith and daydreaming. A small boy is fishing in the tiny, unpromising McElligot's Pool, a puddle that (as a passing farmer informs our diminutive hero) is nothing but a hole where people dispose of their junk. But the boy is all optimism: what if the pool is deeper than anyone thinks? What if it connects to an underground stream that flows under the town to the sea? Might not all sorts of fish then swim up the stream and be caught here? "I might catch an eel... (Well, I might. It depends.) A long twisting eel with a lot of strange bends. And, oddly enough, with a head at both ends!" The moral of the story is straightforward: "If I wait long enough, if I'm patient and cool,/ Who knows what I'll catch in McElligot's pool?"(Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (11)

McElligot's Pool
As Dr. Seuss books go, this one has a story with both it's feet still firmly rooted on the ground. It is about a young boy who is fishing in a small pool. When an old man tells him that he won't catch anything if he waits 50 years, he imagines that the pool might be joined to an underground river, connected to the sea, where all sorts of wonderful fish live. There is no escaping however that this book is by Dr Seuss. The fish he dreams up are as whimsical as ever anybody has imagined. It is typical Seuss, is he really a Dr. by the way, to imagine a fish that is partly a cow, or an Australian fish with a pouch on it's belly. The pictures, pencil and water colour, are in the same inimitable style as he always uses, however the colours didn't seem to be as vibrant as usual. This may be partly because copy I saw was in poor condition, but some of the pictures were in black and white, which wasn't. The language has the distinctive pattern and rhythm of the Cat in the Hat, or Green Eggs and Ham. The rhymes are not as well crafted as in some of his other work, he sometimes seems to be putting lines in just to make a rhyme. I might see a sea horse (Now mightn't I now) I might see a fish That is partly a cow. This said most of the rhyming is good, and the story is very funny. He uses quite a lot of pronouns and descriptive language as he is creating his fantastical fish. Knowing the story behind Dr. Seuss's first book leads me to think that this may be deliberate. The story seems to peak to a crescendo, although the pictures do not reflect this. The book is about the child's imagination. He is not confined to thinking in the same down to earth terms as the old man. It about hope and optimism. The little boy will keep on trying to fish in Mc Elligot's Pool, because however unlikely, he might just catch the most amazing fish you will ever see. If someone was to make it into a cartoon it would make quite a good lottery advert.

Look at all the fish you can catch!
The earlier reviewer is right; who cannot like a book by Dr. Seuss? This classic children's story is about a boy fishing in a small pool and imagining all types of fish that he might catch, most of them quite fanciful. I still remember laughing when I first read it as a child. The book was a 1948 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a children's book.

The Best Seuss Ever!
I read this energetic, imaginative story to my children, and now I get to read it to my grandchildren - that means all the big and little fish will become alive again! The pictures are big - big with personality - and if anyone thought fish were boring, well, think again. My daughter learned to read on this book, and it was the one book she would "read" to me (by memory) - all I did was turn the pages. This is a hard-to-find Seuss book, and well worth the search.

A must-have - McElligott's Pool!
This book is the first book Seuss has written- the cat in the hat came later. This book is often overlooked because people haven't heard of it. I think this is the best Seuss book ever. If you like this book I also reccomend you to buy "In Search of Dr. Seuss." It shows a reporter (Kathy Najimy) trying to find out more about Dr. Seuss. It shows McElligot's Pool as the first Seuss. The other must-have Dr. Seuss book is The Lorax. I LOVE LOVE that book!

Ecellent!!!
This was the best Dr. Seuss book of them all! I read this book when I was a little kid and I still read it now! This is the best book you could buy! ... Read more

Book Description

This little piggy went to market, leaving 10 behind. This little piggy stayed home, and then there were 9…

Count down from ten to one and follow ten touchable, squishy pigs in this fun variation on the classic rhyme.Children and parents will love reading and re-reading the familiar text and counting the pigs as they disappear with the turn of each page.This Little Piggy features unique, vibrant and playful art, with each scene depicted as a recognizable nursery rhyme or fairy tale.What a fun way to teach counting or subtraction! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great art!
The artwork in this book is adorable. Each page shows the pigs in a different fairy tale or nursery rhyme. After you've counted the piggies, you can go back to the book and identify each of the classic stories in the art. What a fun idea! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

A must-read for cat lovers!
It's true, my six-year-old loves this book. The truly great thing about it, though, is that it is thoroughly entertaining for the adults reading along with her. Everyone who has ever loved a cat, regardless of their age, should read this book. It's priceless.

5 Stars for Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed the Fish
My daughter is a beginning reader and loves all of the Mr. Putter and Tabby books, but this one is--by far--her favorite. It is endearing, tender, and funny, too. She reads it over and over, often laughing so hard at the events and characters' expressions, that she can't even read for a moment or two. All of these Rylant series books--and this one in particular--have really been a boost to her enjoyment of reading. I'm sure they would be for any 6-8 year old.

My favorite "Mr. Putter & Tabby" !
This is the best one yet! The story is so funny and original and the illustrations are fantastic. Simply adorable! The love Mr. Putter has for his cat was evident in the tender way he reacted to and coped with her "problem."

Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish
Beloved Tabby sits on Mr. Putter's shoulder where they stare at the fish in the fish store. They love it so much. It reminds Mr. Putter of having fish as a boy. It's exciting for Tabby. so Mr. Putter buys three fish and a bowl. Tabby nearly twitches her tail off on the way home. At home she just can't stop batting the bowl. Mr. Putter covers it with a pillowcase. In the morning, he finds Tabby under the pillowcase. He tries a bucket over the bowl. Read to find out how Mr. Putter finally solves Tabby's batting and twitching problem. You'll love these two and the cute and colorful illustrations of Arthur Howard. ... Read more

Book Description

Way down deep
in the deep blue sea,
there's a lot to find.
I guarantee!

Come on! Be brave!
Just follow me!
And let's explore
the deep blue sea! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Adorable Swimmy Rhyme
This is an adorable picture book. The rhyme is skillfully written to hold the attention of the most wiggly of small children. They'll swim under the water meeting all kinds of sea creatures and be surprised at the end. The art, inspired by the text is fun and colorful. The illustrator nailed it! Children will read this over and over. Jan Peck has now, another excellent picturebook to her credit.

Way down deep fun!
As in her previous picture book, The Giant Carrot, Jan Peck has created a fun and lively story with carefully chosen words to entice children to read and re-read this delightful adventure story. Full of fun sea creatures and lyrical language, Way Down Deep is stimulating both in listening to the story and the enjoyment of the bright illustrations. Well-done and worth owning!

Way Down Deep is Oceans of fun and learning for children!
I am a children's writer who wishes he had written this book! Jan Peck has surely been touched by the hand of God. "The Giant Carrot" was a classic Ms. Peck created, but "Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea" will be read by generations of children too. The tight musical writing and beautiful illustrations will please every child--plus teach them rhythm and the names of sea creatures. On top of all this, the book shows the child the wonders of using his imagination. Buy your copy now, because the first edtion will become a collector's item. "Cat in the Hat" move over! ... Read more

Book Description

Experience the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef with Finding Nemo, the story of a clown fish who faces sharks, seabirds, and sewer systems as he tries to rescue his son from a dentist’s fish tank. Kids can relive all the fun of Disney/Pixar’s newest animated feature film with this 72-page, full-color Read-Aloud Storybook. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

disappointed
Big disappointment. The illustrations are very poor. Nothing like the computer animated graphics in the movie. The characters look like the impressionists version of those in the movie. Bruce the shark is practically unrecognizable, neither is Nemo or Dory. The story is ok, too complicated for a younger child to follow.

Big disappointment
Received this book as a gift for our 4-year old son. He hasn't seen the movie (maybe that makes a difference?), but he loves the pictures and the character. Our friend thought she was buying a quality product from Disney, and so did we, until we tried to read it. I am so disappointed! The movie may be better, but this book gives the impression that a couple of people spent half a weekend pasting together a few shots from the movie, then wrote a little descriptive text and called it a day. There are 2 major faults: 1) several scenes from the movie were obviously just described in the book. They make no sense within the plot, they are literally BORING, though the animated scene may have been appropriate. They are too short to build up any sort of suspense, climax, etc.. An example is the jellyfish scene. 2) The story jumps around, from scene to scene. This distracts and confuses my 4-year old, who is used to logical sequences, a beginning, middle and end in his other books. Sorry, Disney, this book is a loser...

Looks nothing like the motion picture.
Saw it on the bookshelf, grabbed it to buy it for my son who really liked the movie, opened it, returned it to the shelf. You don't buy a book like that for the story -- you buy it for the story and the pictures -- it's a book for younger children after all -- and you hope that the pictures will bring back the fond memories of seeing the story on big screen. But this book is so modestly illustrated that it seems totally unrelated to the film. Even the characters look different. All excitement and all that underwater magic are gone. 'Toy Story' -- from the same series of Disney books -- is illustrated much better. ... Read more

Book Description

"On a deep-blue background, the words 'blue sea' appear...and then the first of Crews's eye-filling paintings....The author and illustrator of Rain have invented another winner."--Publishers Weekly. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Resource to Help Teach Comparatives/Superlatives
"Blue Sea" is a delightful book to help the beginner/elementary reader learn simple comparative and superlative adjectives. "Small," "Smaller," "Smallest," and "Big," "Bigger," "Biggest" are mentioned in this 21 page story which averages about 3-4 words per page. The text is large, and the visuals are simple, colorful, and uncluttered.

children learn a variety of concepts while having fun
I work with small children as a speech therapist and have found that this book teaches many different concepts in only a few pages. The little ones request it over and over again, even those who cannot yet ask verbally. The text is crisp and concise, and the pictures invite children to offer comments throughout the book. It is possible to read this book over and over and discuss many different concepts while having a lot of fun. I am on my way to wearing out my second copy. ... Read more

Book Description

“There’s a curious commotion, at the bottom of the ocean; I think we ought to go and take a look. You’ll find every sort of creature, that lives beneath the sea; swimming through the pages of this book.”The sequel to the best-selling “Rumble in the Jungle”, this delightful new collection of poems includes fun rhymes about the creatures who live in and around the ocean.Children will delight in the snappy poems and colorful illustrations about whales, walruses, penguins, polar bears, stingrays and sharks. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"I want to read the ocean!"
I've been hearing this every night for weeks. I read this to my daughter and she loves it. We even look for the three starfish in each set of pages. She knows many fish, but some were new to her. This is one book I don't mind reading over and over.

Underwater romp for the small fry...
Fast, fun & colorful poems about the ocean animals for the pre-school set. Very simple, so if your child knows a lot about marine animals you may want something more detailed.

Commotion in the Ocean
This is an excellent and delightful book! What a pleasure to read about ocean creatures instead of the usual farm animals. By age 3, my nephew could identify and chat about all the ocean going creatures in this book. It is one of his favorites. The pictures are beautiful and very colorful. I can't say enough great things about this book!

Perfect for an ocean theme!
This book is an adorable addition to anyone's book collection. A different ocean animal is featured on each page. Along with the picture is a short poem about the animal. Children love the pictures and the rhyming text. Also check out Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae. It has the same type of text and illustrations but involves jungle animals.

Note to teachers: I use this with my ocean unit. Your students will ask you to read this over and over again. Trust me!

Fun Poetry!
This beautifully illustrated book is full of fun poems that describe various animals that live in the ocean. It has rich vocabulary and is a great read-aloud! ... Read more

Book Description

A little boy goes fishing every day, but he never catchesanything -- no, not a single fish. So he waits. He waits and waits and waits and waits, and one day, a GREAT GREAT big fish swims by ...

Persistence pays off and faith is rewarded in this witty twist on an old fisherman's tale, illustrated by the incomparable Crockett Johnson.

Reviews (3)

I can't believe I found it.
I'm 35 years old and this was my favorite book as a child. I've looked high and low thinking that it was a Crockett Johnson book, because of the unique drawings. Turns out, he only illustrated it.

This is an easy read for beginning readers and a great story-time book for the younger ones. What a great time we live in that a person can go on a computer and find several copies of a book that was last printed in 1969. It would've taken me years to find it in book stores. Thank you Amazon.

Great for adults too, especially if you retire early!!
I am 29 years old and read this book when I was a child...I am building my own internet business and plan to "escape" the employee world. When I retire early, I am going to give a copy to my employer as if to say....."the little fish that got away...."

An excellent beginner book!
I remember my mother reading this book to me and recently found it to read to my children. THEY LOVE IT!!! It is full of repetition and has a great predictable storyline. The illustrations are tri-color and wonderful. I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Rub-a-dub-dub with Nemo in the tub! The stars of Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo are featured in this vinyl bath book. And young Nemo fans can color in the book–or on the walls of their bath tub–with the tub crayon that is included! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

A big hit with bright colors
My 20 month old boy/girl twins LOVE this book. My son has adopted this book as his own and reads it over and over again. We have ordered this book twice and it is on his wish list for Christmas, because, it is not that durable, but still worth it! It is loved so much we buy it for other little people.

Love This Book!
This is my son's (9 months) favorite book - he has loved it since 3 months of age. He loves the colors and will sit still through the entire book. In a little while we'll use it to introduce counting. Since he has pretty much eaten his first copy, I'm currently online to order copy number 2. My only suggestion to the publisher - please make this in a board book format as well! :-)

Start early!
We love this book! Our son is only 2 months old and as a teacher, I know the importance of reading from the beginning. We read this book to our baby & he loves it. He loves to listen to our voices w/ the different inflections and the bright, colorful pictures are great- he really stares & smiles. I know we will continue to use this book as he grows, with the cute rhymes and the counting practice (even addition: "one fish plus me makes two!"). I will give this book as a baby gift from now on.

Warning! Grammatical error within!
I ordered this book based on the excellent reviews, and indeed, my 9-month-old daughter loved the pictures (which are gorgeous). But I was so disappointed to find a grammatical error--and you have to rewrite the final rhyme yourself to get rid of it. OK, granted, so i'm a big word nerd. (I graduated from Harvard magna cum laude in English.) Most people won't even notice. And I'd have no problem if the book used non-standard grammar as an artistic choice (as in More More More, Said the Baby, a truly lovely book.) But this is just a lame mistake, and I'd prefer to keep this kind of sloppiness away from my daughter. Go ahead, call me a geek.

Definitely a keeper!
Come on a journey deep at sea, to count the many fish we'll see...

I have an affinity for well-written children's books, so when I first read Fish Eyes I was immediately taken by the prose, and the artwork. Years later, after William was born, I realized how intriguing vivid colors were to babies. I started reading to him when he was only a few days old, and every time I picked up THIS book, he was mesmerized. Maybe it was the melodic phrasing, but I think it was the illustrations more than anything.

Fish Eyes is primarily a numbers and counting book that is geared to the very young, 0 to 3 years. This book counts up to 10. In the counting section, the eyes on the fish are punched-out, leaving holes. Children can count fish, or fish eyes. It's an ingenious way of educating kids by interactive means. In addition, there are simple arithmetic lessons cleverly hidden in the sea for older children. In the corner of each spread is a small fish that appears as a shadow. The fish poses a questions like, "3 smiling fish, plus me make 4". Only older children are apt to notice such minutiae, or I should say, they understand it at least. That's why Fish Eyes is so brilliant.

The vibrant colors engaged my son so, that we would study each page after reading the text. Once he was able to hold the book, the die-cut eyes lured him to touch. For a long while, Fish Eyes was one of Will's favorite books. As a result, it has become one of my standard baby gifts. Will is 2½ now, and he knows his numbers, probably in part because of this book. Once he gets around to learning arithmetic, Fish Eyes will