Dionne25's Full Review: Helen Palmer - Fish Out of Water
Books are very popular and necessary in our family. I've been reading to my children since they were in the womb and thankfully they have a love of books (although there are days when the television takes top prize.) We are always looking for fun, interesting and educational books for our kids and we were lucky enough to receive a vintage copy of Helen Palmer's A Fish Out of Water.
The Book
I have to admit, I had never heard of this book or the author before receiving it, but I saw that it had the trusty Cat in the Hat "I Can Read it all by Myself" logo and so I knew this would be a good book to read. The story is told in the first person by a young boy who goes to the pet store. The young boy tells the owner, Mr. Carp he wants a fish for a pet. After selecting the fish of choice (a goldfish he named "Otto",) Mr. Carp gives the young boy specific instructions on how to care for his new fish:
"Never feed him a lot. So much and no more! Never more than a spot, or something may happen! You never know what."
Well, if the young boy were to follow Mr. Carp's instructions, the story would be over in a few pages. But being a curious young boy, excited over his new pet, and wanting to test the boundaries, instead of feeding his fish just a little, he decided to give Otto a lot more than was necessary. We are then taken on a whirlwind of an adventure as Otto grows out of control and everything the young boy tries to do to keep Otto in water doesn't seem to work. Does the boy finally get Otto in enough water? Does Otto live? Does the young boy learn his lesson?
My Thoughts
The first night my son wanted to read this book, he was really excited. The look on his face as I read the story about Otto, the young boy and their adventure was priceless. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This is one of his favorite books. The text is fairly easy for a young child to follow and although it doesn't rhyme like a Dr. Seuss book, it is written in a tone that a preschooler will understand easily.
After reading the story so many times, and getting "fake" fish for Christmas, my husband and I felt our son was ready to tackle a real fish. In February, we bought our son a Betta, that he named "Mr. Penguin." He was very excited about his new fish and when we brought him home, he was ready to take care of him. When it came time to feed Mr. Penguin for the first time, we asked our son, "How much are you going to feed him?" His response was, "Just so much and no more. Just like Mr. Carp said." I am happy to say that Mr. Penguin is alive and well and there has not been a day where my son has over-fed his fish.
My pet peeve, so to speak about this book, is since the story is told by a young boy, there is almost an underlying connotation that boys are more likely than girls to not listen and get into trouble. There is even a line in the book where Mr. Carp says, "I always say 'don't' but you boys always do." While I can attest to this on some days with my own boys, that one line bothered me a little bit. But, as the parent, I may have read into it a little too much. It doesn't even phase my son.
I think this book is the perfect introduction for kids to understand the importance of caring for a pet. It not only works for fish, but can also apply to dogs, cats, hamsters or any pet for that matter. The message in the book is universal, the story has a natural flow with a good beginning, a great climax and everything is wrapped up in the end. This books doesn't really scare kids into taking care of their fish, but takes your child on an adventure of what could happen if you don't follow the directions.
Final Thoughts
A Fish Out of Water was written in 1961 and is 64 pages of fun-filled adventure. I think my other drawback with this book is that the reader is never introduced to the young boy's parents. We meet many other people in the community who try to help with Otto, but the parents are out of the picture. As you are reading the story, the parents aren't really a thought, because this is told from the boy's perspective and as your young one is listening to the story, he or she will be transported into the story and feel as if they are right there next to the young boy.
Overall, I like the lesson it teaches, the illustrations are lively and funny (for the 1960's,) and it's just a fun book to read. I am still amazed how much my son learned from this book on pet care. This is a great book to pick up at your local library or a great find at a garage sale. Your child will love it.
Illus. in color. Comic pictures show how the fish rapidly outgrows its bowl, a vase, a cook pot, a bathtub. -- The New York Times.More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.