Book Review
Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
1. Type of Book: storybook (animal story)
2. Format: floppy book (paperback)
3. Multicultural: Although this is a story with animal characters, I think that it has multicultural characteristics (increases positive attitudes concerning diversity).
4. Awards: n/a
5. Age Appropriate: 4 - 5 years old
6. Brief Synopsis: Two friends, a tadpole and a minnow, grow up to be a frog and a fish. As an adult, the frog is able to get out of the water and see the world. The frog tells the fish about birds, cows, and people. The fish wants to see these things, too, and one day decides to jump out of the water. However, the fish is not like the frog -- he is not able to be out of the water. The fish realizes that the best place for him is in the water. Frogs are frogs and fish is fish... and it's okay.
7. Interaction: every so often, the reader can use closure -- try to get children to guess what is going to happen next.
8. Quality: a) Character development -- at the end of the story the fish accepts that he is a fish...
and it's okay
b) Color -- beautiful, colorful illustrations
c) Realistic dialogue -- both the frog and the fish speak with simple and clear
language and converse in realistic dialogue
9. Debrief:
a) In the story, the frog tells the fish about birds, cows, and people. If you were the frog, what other things about the world would you like to tell the fish?
b) How do you think the fish would imagine these things to look like?
c) After the tadpole grew up into a frog, he hopped out of the water. While the frog was out exploring the world, how do you think the fish felt while his friend was away? (This question can lead into a discussion about feelings.)
d) Why do you think the fish was having trouble breathing when it was out of the water? (This question can then lead in to another story about how fish live or a discussion about fish in general.)
10. Activities: a) Fish Art
~ trace an outline of a large fish onto paper
~ make copies of this outline for each child
~ set out small colored tissue paper squares in containers, watered-down glue in
bowls, and thin paint brushes
~ let the children glue the tissue paper squares onto the fish (the squares represent
the scales of a fish)
~ when the artwork is dry, the teacher may cut out the fish on the marked outline
and arrange the children's fish art onto a bulletin board made to look like an
aquarium
b) Fishy Snacks
~ after reading the story (or during snack time) serve fish-shaped cheese crackers
(there are also starfish-shaped cheese crackers, as well as dolphin- and whale-
shaped cheese crackers)
~ be sure to check for any food allergies
c) Class Pet
~ goldfish are inexpensive and easy to care for
~ purchase a fish bowl, one or two goldfish, some decorative rocks, and goldfish
food
~ explain to the children how to care for a goldfish
~ place the fish bowl in an area where children can come to view the fish at leisure
(also in a place where the teacher can keep an eye on it)
~ create a chart for the children so that all children will have a turn feeding the fish
Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
1. Type of Book: storybook (animal story)
2. Format: floppy book (paperback)
3. Multicultural: Although this is a story with animal characters, I think that it has multicultural characteristics (increases positive attitudes concerning diversity).
4. Awards: n/a
5. Age Appropriate: 4 - 5 years old
6. Brief Synopsis: Two friends, a tadpole and a minnow, grow up to be a frog and a fish. As an adult, the frog is able to get out of the water and see the world. The frog tells the fish about birds, cows, and people. The fish wants to see these things, too, and one day decides to jump out of the water. However, the fish is not like the frog -- he is not able to be out of the water. The fish realizes that the best place for him is in the water. Frogs are frogs and fish is fish... and it's okay.
7. Interaction: every so often, the reader can use closure -- try to get children to guess what is going to happen next.
8. Quality: a) Character development -- at the end of the story the fish accepts that he is a fish...
and it's okay
b) Color -- beautiful, colorful illustrations
c) Realistic dialogue -- both the frog and the fish speak with simple and clear
language and converse in realistic dialogue
9. Debrief:
a) In the story, the frog tells the fish about birds, cows, and people. If you were the frog, what other things about the world would you like to tell the fish?
b) How do you think the fish would imagine these things to look like?
c) After the tadpole grew up into a frog, he hopped out of the water. While the frog was out exploring the world, how do you think the fish felt while his friend was away? (This question can lead into a discussion about feelings.)
d) Why do you think the fish was having trouble breathing when it was out of the water? (This question can then lead in to another story about how fish live or a discussion about fish in general.)
10. Activities: a) Fish Art
~ trace an outline of a large fish onto paper
~ make copies of this outline for each child
~ set out small colored tissue paper squares in containers, watered-down glue in
bowls, and thin paint brushes
~ let the children glue the tissue paper squares onto the fish (the squares represent
the scales of a fish)
~ when the artwork is dry, the teacher may cut out the fish on the marked outline
and arrange the children's fish art onto a bulletin board made to look like an
aquarium
b) Fishy Snacks
~ after reading the story (or during snack time) serve fish-shaped cheese crackers
(there are also starfish-shaped cheese crackers, as well as dolphin- and whale-
shaped cheese crackers)
~ be sure to check for any food allergies
c) Class Pet
~ goldfish are inexpensive and easy to care for
~ purchase a fish bowl, one or two goldfish, some decorative rocks, and goldfish
food
~ explain to the children how to care for a goldfish
~ place the fish bowl in an area where children can come to view the fish at leisure
(also in a place where the teacher can keep an eye on it)
~ create a chart for the children so that all children will have a turn feeding the fish
-Ailene N.
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