School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1- A rhythmic, rhyming text introduces a fish with a mouth that turns down at the corners and a correspondingly gloomy attitude. One by one, his ocean-dwelling friends try to cheer him up, but he resists their efforts with a pessimistic, yet snappy refrain: "I'm a pout-pout fish/With a pout-pout face,/So I spread the dreary-wearies/All over the place." Finally, a mysterious female fish approaches and silently plants a kiss "upon his pout." He is instantly struck by the epiphany that he is actually a "kiss-kiss fish/With a kiss-kiss face/For spreading cheery-cheeries/All over the place!" and demonstrates his newfound outlook by smooching his friends. Though the bouncy rhythm is appealing, many of the rhymes are forced, and the poetry doesn't always scan. On the positive side, the cartoon illustrations of undersea life are bright and clean and the protagonist's exaggerated expressions are entertaining. The layout is attractive, and the three-panel sequences showing the fish moping around during the refrain are especially well done.-Rachael Vilmar, Eastern Shore Regional Library, MD
Kirkus Reviews
The pout-pout fish, painted a suitable blue, is so named for his perpetual gloom: "I'm a pout-pout fish / With a pout-pout face, / So I spread the dreary-wearies / All over the place." When a jellyfish complains about his "daily scaly scowl," the glum fish agrees, but says his mood isn't up to him. A squid, dubbing the fish "a kaleidoscope of mope," receives the same defeatist answer, as do other sea creatures. Up to this point, the story is refreshing in that readers will no doubt recognize the pout-pout fish in their own lives, and in many cases, there's just no cheering these people up. But the plot takes a rather unpalatable turn when a shimmery girl fish kisses the gloomster right on his pouty mouth. With that kiss, he transforms into the "kiss-kiss fish" and swims around "spreading cheery-cheeries all over the place," meaning that he starts to smooch every creature in sight. (Don't try this at school, kids, you'll get suspended!) Still, there's plenty of charm here, both in the playful language ("hulky-bulky sulking!") and in the winning artwork-Hanna's cartoonish undersea world swims with hilarious bug-eyed creatures that ooze personality. (Picture book. 3-6)
From the Publisher
Younger kids will love the repetition of the verses in this tale of a pout-pout fish.” —TIME magazine, from its Top 10 Childrens' Books of 2008 List
“Winning artwork...Hanna's cartoonish undersea world swims with hilarious bug-eyed creatures that ooze personality” —Kirkus Reviews
“Appealing...the cartoon illustrations of undersea life are bright and clean and the protagonist's exaggerated expressions are entertaining.” —School Library Journal
“Diesen's clever rhymes are playful and fun and are sure to keep children's imaginations swimming from page to page.” —Times Record News
AUGUST 2012 - AudioFile
For the pout-pout fish, swimming in the deep, deep ocean offers no excitement. In fact, all he seems to be able to do is “spread the dreary-wearies all over the place.” Most sea creatures that converse with the pout-pout fish fail to change his mood, but then along comes a new fish. Alexander Gould narrates in multiple roles. In one, he is an even-voiced narrator who emphasizes the repetitions and the rhymes. With a mournful voice, he characterizes the pout-pout fish and then sparkles while giving voice to would-be friends: jellyfish, squid, and clam. Underwater illustrations will engage young listeners. A.R © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
