Something's Fishy: TOON Level 1

by Kevin McCloskey

Overview

The facts behind a fish that's worth its weight in gold.

Some fish breathe air and some fish fly, but often the most wonderful fish of all turns out to be the one you’ve got at home. In another amazingly educational offering of the beloved Giggle and Learn series, Kevin McCloskey blends science, art, and comedy to reveal the true story behind the common goldfish—from its origins as a special gift for emperors to what makes them so special today. There's a lot to find from the critters in your fishtank—just read and find out!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662665127
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	04/18/2023
Series:	Giggle and Learn
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	1,094,262
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.17(d)
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Kevin McCloskey teaches illustration at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. He has traveled the country from the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia to the California Academy of Sciences sharing fascinating facts about common creatures. Kevin says he discovered many things about goldfish thanks to his son, Daniel, and that he has about seventeen fish now.

Editorial Reviews

With easily digestible doses of biological and historical background, common-sense cautionary notes, and a buoyant tone, this is an appealing dive for newly independent readers out to enhance the household menagerie. An ideal lead-in to more specific guides to aquarium setup and fish care."—Kirkus Reviews

"This overview of fish big and small (mostly small) takes an irreverent approach to its subject...an entertaining primer for families in the market for a pet fish."—Publisher's Weekly
​
"With expressive figures, warm-toned backgrounds, and wide, open panels, this straddles the line between picture book and comic, making this fun, engaging volume especially well-suited to kiddos just starting to read on their own."—Booklist

"An appealing format attractive to burgeoning graphic novel and comic book reader."—School Library Journal

"Emergent readers will enjoy learning about goldfish, not just their history, but also their care." —A School Library Journal Good Comics for Kids Weekly Pick!
​
"I can’t wait to introduce kids to fish with Something’s Fishy. [McCloskey's] books make for excellent nonfiction storytime reading and pair nicely with picture books. You can very easily pair Something’s Fishy with Rainbow Fish, Lois Ehlert’s Rain Fish, or any number of fish or sea life-related stories."—Mom Read It

Washington DC's WUSA 9 selected Something's Fishy as one of the "best summer books for your kids!"  

"The lessons here are more subtle and comedic than your straightforward educational work, but that makes this, as with McCloskey’s other books, a fun read, particularly for kids interested in the topic or contemplating a finny pet."—Comics Worth Reading

"In deep colors that echo the watery depths, the acrylic and gouache artwork is playful but accurately portrays the many species of fish."—Youth Services Book Review

"Can learning be fun? Of course! If you're in doubt, check out McCloskey's latest nonfiction title for early readers in Toon Books' Giggle and Learn series."—Mile High Books

From the Publisher

03/13/2017
Like McCloskey’s We Dig Worms! and The Real Poop on Pigeons!, this overview of fish big and small (mostly small) takes an irreverent approach to its subject. Two elementary school age children serve as guides, sharing details about fish, but the hashtag #notallfish could easily apply: when the children explain that fish have scales and bones, and that they breathe through gills, these facts are quickly qualified. “Almost all fish!” squawks a green parrot that appears in most scenes. “The hagfish is a fish with no spine!” McCloskey’s artwork also reflects the book’s push-and-pull relationship between facts and fun: the featured fish are often painted in realistic detail (six opening pages offer an A to Z tour of 26 distinctive fish, including a true-to-its name footballfish, a glum-looking monkeyface prickleback, and a slightly nightmarish viperfish. The author also references the popularity of “the fish see in cartoon movies” (a clown fish and blue tang pictured), with one of the children noting that the “common goldfish makes a better pet.” It’s an entertaining primer for families in the market for a pet fish. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—This latest addition to the series is a beginning reader's introduction to fish. From the get-go, McCloskey submerges readers in his underwater ABCs—from angelfish, beardfish, and clown fish to X-ray tetra, yellow tang, and zebra fish. Even the pesky Q gets a good one (Quillback rockfish). After this dive into the depths of the ocean, readers return to land to Fish School, which immediately bring to mind Joanna Cole's "Magic School Bus" series but without as many speech bubbles. The overarching message that kids should avoid picking trendy or exotic fish, such as clown fish and blue tang, as pets and should instead choose a fish better suited to a home aquarium is an important one. Fish School is full of fun factoids, such as, "not all fish have scales" and "in a big aquarium, a Goldfish can grow to over a foot long," balanced with humorous commentary. McCloskey is adept at selecting sight words and slightly longer beginner vocabulary appropriate for his audience. He also sprinkles in just enough history and enjoyable details. What kid would want a goldfish when there is a blue tang at the pet store? One who has read here that "Goldfish can remember faces!" How could they resist? VERDICT There is nothing stinky about this slender volume, just perfectly suited illustrations with a lovely hand-drawn font and an appealing format attractive to burgeoning graphic novel and comic book readers.—Kristy Kilfoyle, Canterbury School, Fort Myers, FL

School Library Journal

2017-02-14
A first introduction to our planet's finny residents, particularly the decidedly uncommon goldfish.Preceded by an entire piscatorial ABC that extends over six pages, two children of color lecture an audience of house pets (and readers) about such typical fishy features as scales and gills—properly noting that some fish, like certain eels, have no scales and some, like hagfish, no bony spines. The two then zero in on goldfish, explaining that they are easier to keep at home than tropical fish, originated long ago in China, can recognize the faces of people who bring them food, and with proper care live 25 years. All of this information is presented in a mix of dialogue balloons and single lines of commentary in block letters, accompanying cleanly drawn cartoon illustrations that alternate between a domestic setting and labeled portraits of various fish rendered in fine, exact detail. With easily digestible doses of biological and historical background, common-sense cautionary notes, and a buoyant tone, this is an appealing dive for newly independent readers out to enhance the household menagerie. An ideal lead-in to more specific guides to aquarium setup and fish care. (Informational picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews