The Only Fish in the Sea

by Philip C. Stead, Matthew Cordell (Illustrator)

Overview

Did you hear about little Amy Scott? She got a goldfish for her birthday and then just threw it in the ocean! That doesn’t seem right.

I guess Sherman and Sadie will have to go save little Ellsworth (every fish deserves a proper name) on their own. They’ll need:

A boat
Fishing gear
Twenty-one pink balloons
A bucket of paint
And
Appropriate headwear in case of weather—good or bad

Don’t worry. Ellsworth is in good hands now, but what ever happened to little Amy Scott?

Join Sadie (Special Delivery) on another adventure in The Only Fish in the Sea, a delightful picture book by Philip C. Stead and Matthew Cordell.

A Neal Porter Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250182784
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	08/15/2017
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	107 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Philip C. Stead is the author of the 2011 Caldecott Medal book A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Books that he has recently written and illustrated include Ideas Are All Around and Samson in the Snow. He previously collaborated with Matthew Cordell on Special Delivery. Philip lives with his wife, illustrator Erin E. Stead, in Michigan.

Matthew Cordell has illustrated many books for children including Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead, a Washington Post Best Book of 2015. He is the author and illustrator of several picture books including Wolf In The Snow, Another Brother, Wish, and Hello! Hello!. Matthew lives outside of Chicago with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children.

Editorial Reviews

It is this story's attractive premise—as it is that of children's own make-believe fantasies—that feats of heroism as grand as the one Sadie and Sherman contemplate are well within their grasp…As the details of their helter-skelter adventure unspool in Matthew Cordell's frizzy, pert, deadpan drawings, Philip C. Stead, whose tonally adroit knack for comedic dialog recalls Charles Schulz's, lets readers eavesdrop on snippets of the onboard conversation.

The New York Times Book Review - Leonard S. Marcus

★ 05/29/2017
Sadie, the inimitable hero of Special Delivery, has returned. Her arrow-straight sense of justice sends her in search of a birthday goldfish that Little Amy Scott has thrown into the sea, plastic bag and all. Sadie’s friend Sherman and the hilarious gang of monkeys from Special Delivery sprint to keep up as Sadie borrows a boat, plots a route, and sets off; her supreme confidence delivers them to precisely the right spot in the ocean, and Ellsworth (“Every fish deserves a proper name,” Sadie declares) is rescued in the nick of time. The monkeys’ mayhem is beautifully choreographed, Sherman is promoted to a full-fledged character, and Sadie’s obliviousness to nautical danger provides a keen sense of fun. (A fine Cordell split screen shows Sadie pouring Sherman a civilized cup of tea as a sperm whale threatens to upend the craft from below.) Stead never takes Sadie’s campaign for virtue too seriously, yet her shining sense of justice lingers long after the silliness subsides. Ages 3–6. Author’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

*"A contemporary tall tale fueled by the characters’ genuine caring and heart. Best read one-on-one to feast on the clever cartoon artwork."—School Library Journal, starred review

*"This is comforting fare for children, especially those who themselves have been cast adrift, and sensitive readers in more secure situations may even spare some sympathy for Little Amy."—Booklist, starred review

*"Stead never takes Sadie’s campaign for virtue too seriously, yet her shining sense of justice lingers long after the silliness subsides."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"Readers who are looking for more moxie in their lives will love this absurd adventure."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Throughout, Cordell’s style is reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s work, with comically perilous seafaring scenes that recall the Miss Armitage picture books. Meanwhile, Stead’s text contains echoes of Dahl’s writing, with moments of dark humor, a satisfying comeuppance for Little Amy Scott, and a surfeit of heart in the child heroes’ rescue of lost Ellsworth."—Horn Book

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—With comic urgency, a boy races on his bicycle to tell his friend Sadie the story of spoiled Little Amy Scott, who declared that her birthday goldfish was BORING and walked across town to unceremoniously throw it off the dock. The boy, Sherman, asks Sadie if she could imagine that poor fish, still in its bag and floating away, bringing the prologue to an end and spurring Sadie into action. She names the fish Ellsworth, plots a course, and gathers fishing gear, weather-appropriate clothes, a bucket of paint, and 21 pink balloons. A half-dozen monkeys join the kids on their journey as crewmen, adding to the zaniness established by the loose pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations. Readers will admire Sadie's unflappable, no-nonsense response to the dangers at sea, though this is just one of the many gloriously funny details. VERDICT A contemporary tall tale fueled by the characters' genuine caring and heart. Best read one-on-one to feast on the clever cartoon artwork.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2017-04-17
Stead and Cordell take their readers on a big adventure to save a tiny fish. A tall black boy named Sherman has big news to share with a pigtailed white girl named Sadie: bratty white birthday girl Amy Scott has decreed that goldfish are passé. Amy is so emphatic she's thrown her birthday goldfish, still in its baggie, into the sea. Sadie disagrees, and aided by a band of chicly-dressed monkeys, she and Sherman begin an adventure to rescue the abandoned goldfish. The combination of Sadie's steadfast confidence and Sherman's facial reactions drive the story to a celebratory conclusion that brings the entire town (and an ostrich) together. Stead's dialogue-only text is concise and dryly humorous, conveying both Sadie's calm determination and humorous quips. Cordell's artwork—a vigorously scratchy mixture of ink and watercolor—brings the characters to life. The presentation ranges from expansive details of sea life to quick sketches of action, but the focal point is always Sherman and his quiet fear as the adventure persists. Children will love examining each page to see the escapades of the monkey companions as they travel alongside the duo. The detailed artwork is better suited for lap-sit reads than large storytimes, and this may become a favorite part of the "getting ready for bed" ritual in many homes. Readers who are looking for more moxie in their lives will love this absurd adventure. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews