The Pout-Pout Fish

Title: The Pout-Pout Fish

Bibliographic information:

Author: Deborah Diesen

Illustrator: Dan Hanna

• Board book: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (August 6, 2013)
• Language: English

Reader's Annotation:

The Pout-Pout Fish travels about, spreading the dreary-wearies. But is that really his destiny?

Interest Level: Ages 2-5

Lexile level: Not Available

Awards, if applicable:

Not Applicable

Plot summary: Mr. Fish travels around the ocean floor, with his face in a perpetual pout.  He spreads the dreary-wearies wherever he goes.  But does he have to be a pout-pout fish?  Can he ever be anything else?  Maybe, with a positive choice, he can turn his pout to a kiss, and spread joy wherever he goes!

Critical review: The artwork in this book is playful and charming.  Hanna has chosen a cartoonish style, which allows the principal protagonist - Mr. Fish - to have a wide range of facial expressions.  The palate, in its limited blue and purple range, gives a serene watery image, and the other underwater creatures help progress the story.

Why include it?

The art in this book is cheerful and expressive, and the rhythm of it makes it a fun book to share with younger readers.