Sunday, January 7, 2018

Picture Book Review: The Fish Who Cried Wolf by Julia Donaldson


The Fish Who Cried Wolf by Julia Donaldson. Unpgd. Arthur A. Levine Books/ Scholastic Inc., April, 2018. 9780439928250. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

A wee, gray fish named Tiddler is always late for school and he always had a tall-tale as the reason. This does not amuse his teacher, but tickles his classmates, one in particular, who loves to tell his granny, who shares the story herself. When poor Tiddler is captured in a fishing net and late yet again, his classmates begin to wonder why he is later than usual. Lucky for Tiddler, when the net is finally hauled on board, he is thrown back in the sea because "he's just a tiddler." Unfortunately, the boat is miles from his home.

This was a clever twist on a familiar fable and would make for a fun read aloud, though I'm not sure why the cataloguing information says it's a story in rhyme. There is a fair amount of effective repetition that would encourage participation. The illustrations add to the humor with a vibrant palette and cartoonishly expressive eyes on all the sea life. 

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