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WHERE IS LITTLE FISH?

Name: WHERE IS LITTLE FISH?
Author: Lucy Cousins
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9486-9

From the Little Fish series

by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 13, 2018

Where is Little Fish? He should be on shelves serving young children everywhere.

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Little Fish plays hide-and-seek.

A board book should be brief to match a toddler’s attention span, have humor that a young child can appreciate, and provide reasons for caregiver and child to linger over each page. Cousins, best known for the popular Maisy stories, scores on all counts here. On the first page, the smiling Little Fish speaks directly to readers with an invitation to play the familiar game of hide-and-seek. Six possible hiding places are concealed beneath flaps on the subsequent pages. By the second reading, young children will chime in with a satisfying “No” as each flap reveals a different sea creature. Finally, as in Cousins’ earlier Hooray for Fish (2005), the final flap lifts to reveal Little Fish and Mom Fish sharing kisses. The six page turns and six flaps are just enough to ensure that board-book readers will say “read it again.” The creatures have monikers such as “shelly fish” and “stripy fish,” but even though these names are invented, their hiding places hint at real habitats and actual fish behavior. Each flap includes a small cutout to make it clear where it should be opened. This feature may help the rather thin flaps survive frequent tugs from eager little fingers.

Where is Little Fish? He should be on shelves serving young children everywhere. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: March 13, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-7636-9486-9

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE FISH AND MOMMY
by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins

- BOOK REVIEW
I AM LITTLE FISH!
by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins

- BOOK REVIEW
COUNT WITH LITTLE FISH
by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins

- BOOK REVIEW
GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS AND OTHER STORIES
by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins

- BOOK REVIEW
MAISY GOES ON A NATURE WALK
by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins

- BOOK REVIEW
A GOOD PLACE
by Lucy Cousins ; illustrated by Lucy Cousins

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SMILE, POUT-POUT FISH

by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.

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This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.

Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORRY-WORRY WHALE AND THE CLASSROOM JITTERS
by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna

- BOOK REVIEW
POUT-POUT FISH
by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna

- BOOK REVIEW
THE POUT-POUT FISH AND THE MAD, MAD DAY
by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna

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MERRY CHRISTMAS, LITTLE POOKIE

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine stocking stuffer...

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Seven years after Little Pookie (2011) first appeared, this popular piglet is finally celebrating Christmas.

“Oh Pookie! Come look! It’s beginning to snow,” says a maternal-looking pig. But where did Pookie go? Past the Christmas tree, to put on a snowsuit of course. Pookie’s ever cheerful mama is willing to go out too. After all, “It’s a magical time to be walking with you.” When she observes, “Our noses are frozen. It’s time to go in,” Pookie protests in typical toddler style: “But I’m not c-c-c-cold!” The next three pages highlight indoor holiday preparations—making paper garlands, baking and decorating cookies. The rhyming text mirrors the spare illustrations. A spidery type that emulates handwriting makes it clear when Pookie is speaking. Then “the doorbell is ringing. / Our family and friends have arrived for the singing.” The second-to-last spread shows Pookie, mama, and six other pigs—and Boynton’s requisite chicken—singing (“Con brio”), “MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! AND A HAP-PY NEW YEAR!” Conveniently, this text is placed beneath the musical notation. Finally Pookie hangs a stocking and goes off to bed without any fuss, anticipating presents on Christmas morning.

The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine stocking stuffer or an ideal Christmas Eve read to share with other little piggies. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)