Phone Call With A Fish by Silvia Vecchini - ADVISABLE

Phone Call With A Fish by Silvia Vecchini, illustrated by Sualzo. PICTURE BOOK. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2018. 9780802855107

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A new kid at school doesn’t say a word during the schoolday. Some of the students say that he is just shy while others think there is something wrong with him. The narrator of the book, a girl in his class, observes him gently and befriends him, but he still doesn’t speak. One day they go to the aquarium and learn that fish have a special way of speaking to each other because of an exhibit with a phone held up to the tank. Later that night the narrator gets a phone call from a “fish”. 

This book gave me cold-chills it was so tender and heart-wrenching, but my kids were far less impressed. In fact, my kids were kind of bored. This book has the ability to facilitate great conversations on compassion and being gentle with each others, but the book is a little slow. The colors are also pretty bland, just blue and brown. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher