The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen - OPTIONAL

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Dan Hanna.  BOARD BOOK Farrar Straus Giroux Books (Macmillan), 2008.  9780374312190  

BUYING ADVISORY: PRE-K – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Mr. Fish is a pout-pout fish who has a grumpy looking face.  Different animals throughout the ocean try to counsel Mr. Fish on how not to be so gloomy, but Mr. Fish says he can’t help it, that is just the way he is.  Until one day, a girl fish comes and gives Mr. Fish a kiss that makes him feel better and from then on Mr. Fish decides that he is going to use his pout-y lips to kiss people and be nice instead of being grumpy and sad. 

I like the Pout-Pout series in general, but thought this particular book took a weird turn when Mr. Fish has to kiss other people to be happy.  The illustrations are adorable, and grumpy Mr. Fish is endearing.  The text is a fun rhyming read aloud, but there are other Pout-Pout books that are better.    

Reviewer, C. Peterson