The Pout-Pout Fish

The Pout-Pout Fish

By Deborah Diesen

The pout-pout fish swims through the ocean spreading ‘dreary-wearies’ all around. Other ocean-dwellers—a clam, a jellyfish, a squid, and an octopus—try to convince him to cheer up, but the pout-pout fish will have none of it. Mr. Fish is sure that he has no choice but to be pouty until along comes a shimmery fish, who is about to turn Mr. Fish’s world upside down.

I interrupted my husband from his musical composing to show him this book. I was already smiling when I started to read it to him, and by the end we were both laughing so hard we could hardly read the words on the pages. There are good reasons that this book is a New York Times bestseller. Diesen weaves together words skillfully, and the rhyming verses flow from the page effortlessly. The pictures, as well as the words, are hilarious. Adults will enjoy this book, but children will also be introduced to the valuable insight that people who insist on being pouty are no fun to be around.

The Pout-Pout Fish will be a great read-aloud for a group or for one child. This is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it!

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