The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

I'm a pout-pout fish
with a pout-pout face
So I spread the dreary-wearies
all over the place

Well, spreading the dreary-wearies is fortunately not all that happens in this fun book and I highly recommend it as a Good Read-aloud and good story.

As for artwork, you can see that Dan Hanna's drawings are bright, whimsical, and kid-friendly. And look at our hero . Bless his heart, as soon as I saw him sitting on the library shelf, I knew I needed to take him home to see if the text lived up to the artwork. It surely does.

The story, btw, is about our really glum looking buddy. You see, despite all the efforts of his friends to shake him out of his doldrums, nothing seemed to work. That is, until someone special came along. It's down-right amazing how a kiss can change everything.

Considerations:::
This is classic sort of book which should be considered for the home shelves. With good artwork, good rhyme and lots to talk about, The Pout-Pout Fish ought to appeal to kids as old as 9. Certainly my 7 and 9 year olds enjoyed it.

The Accelerated Reading Level for Pout-Pout is 3.0. Younger children should be able to read the refrain though with some practice.

What's There to Talk About
Folks that read my reviews on a regular basis know I love books that have lots to talk about, and which are rich in language. In Pout-Pout there are many things to discuss. For very young children there are colors and expressions to point out. For older children they are the sea critters to discuss -- clams, jellyfish, crabs, squid, octopuses, starfish, urchins, and puffer fish for examples.

For all children there are the marvelous rhythms and rhymes, and a rich vocabulary. New words might include aghast, statue, astounded, kaleidoscope (of mope), and scowl, amongst others.

One of the benefits of all this syllabic play is that children will be exposed to a variety of letter sounds and phonemes. All of which has been shown to increase reading and language skills.


Check this out at the library. I'd be surprised if you don't end up buying a copy. An excellent choice for a gift.


Destined to be a new classic, The Pout-Pout Fish has delightful illustrations and great rhymes.