Steph & Liam Review The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen Pictures by Dan Hanna

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series: Pout-Pout Fish
Source: pr firm in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

"A gift should be big,
And a gift should be bright.
And a gift should be perfect-
Guaranteed to bring delight.
And a gift should have meaning
Plus a bit of bling-zing,
So I'll shop till I drop
For each just-right thing!"

Will Mr. Fish find perfect gifts for everyone on his list? Will he finish his shopping in time?

Swim along with Mr. Fish on his holiday shopping quest. He might just discover that the best gifts of all come straight from the heart.

Steph and Liam's Thoughts:

I chose this book for Liam and I to read because I thought it might have a good message for my son during the holiday time of year. I chose correctly. Mr. Fish needs to be reminded that the season isn't just for gift giving. It's spending time with friends and the best gifts come from the heart.

 Liam liked the pictures. They are big, colorful and just the sort of silly a 5 year old likes. He obviously loved the gift ideas that Mr. Fish was coming up with for his friends (robots and rocket ships).

The rhyme was a little repetitive for me but Liam liked it and began repeating it. Most of the words are pretty simple with a few harder ones tossed in to make it a bit more challenging for a young reader. It was a great balance for us. Liam gets bored if there are too many hard words but will try to sound harder words out if there are only a few scattered here and there.

Every year, we have a little craft day and Liam makes salt-dough ornaments as presents for his teachers and family. It is a great little tradition and one he loves. He immediately related our making presents with Mr. Fish's gifts to his friends. He was pretty excited about that part.

About the Author & Illustrator

 Deborah Diesen (www.deborahdiesen.com) grew up in Midland, Michigan, and started writing poems at a young age. She has worked as a bookseller and a librarian, and now works for a small nonprofit organization, but her greatest joy comes from writing for children. She lives with her family in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

 Dan Hanna (www.danhanna.com) has over ten years experience in the animation industry, and his work has appeared on BBC America and the Cartoon Network. He lives in Oxnard, California.