by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Tim Bowers
Sleeping Bear Press
April 2010
I recently acquired a 10-gallon aquarium and have stocked it with some adorable cherry barbs. Now I've got fish on the brain - PH levels, nitrate cycle, potential future tankmates for my fish. This book caught my attention right away and I enjoyed the story a lot. A goldfish lives a solitary existence in a small, boring bowl. Soon, he's joined by a tankmate or two: first a diving man bubbler, then some plants, next a snail named Mervin. The goldfish's deadpan delivery comes across in lines like these:
"Day Five.
Mr. Bubbles still hasn't said a word.
He just looks at me. I said 'Hello' today.
And he said, "Ggggllllggggllll."
He's creepy."
Pretty soon they're joined by a crab, a glamorous angelfish, a sunken pirate ship and two guppies (with more on the way). The goldfish can't wait to get out of there, but when he's transferred to a new bowl, he finds he misses the whole crazy crew after all. And he's super relieved to be returned to them... this time in a huge new aquarium, with a new friend, Gracie, another goldfish. Pair this book with any version of the Jewish folktale Too Much Noise for a humorous look at how sometimes the people that drive you nutty are the people you want around the most.
I borrowed this book from the library.
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