Too Crowded

by Lena Podesta

Overview

A hilarious, heartwarming picture book with subtle lessons about the importance of sharing, home, and friendship.

Gil the Goldfish lives in a fishbowl with 138 pebbles—he counts them every day—and a castle. It feels TOO CROWDED! When Gil leaves his bowl in search of open spaces, he finds a world full of many interesting…and loud … and possibly dangerous creatures.

It turns out that life outside the bowl might not be right for a fish. Thank goodness for Turtle, a citizen of the not-so-great outdoors who comes to Gil's rescue! Will Gil make peace with his home sweet home, and maybe even find room for a friend in the process?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728222387
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	642,140
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD320L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lena Podesta lives in Portland at the bottom of a volcano with her husband and two children. She’s been an illustrator and animator for over 15 years, and her clients have included The Simpsons, 20th Century Fox, Highlights Magazine, Universal Studios, Hallmark, Ernst & Young, Proctor & Gamble, and more.

Editorial Reviews

"The story is a satisfying balance of familiar and fresh, with an endearing protagonist and an especially timely message about isolation and connection... Utterly delightful." — Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

"I loved the illustrations in this story—bright, bold, and showed the hilarious expression of Gil on his adventures. I think children will enjoy seeing his new home choices and deciding for themselves if those choices would be right for Gil." — Youth Services Book Review

"[Kids] may still get a kick out of Gil’s rotund body walking around unfishlike in a pair of shoes." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

★ 2021-01-27
A goldfish seeks drier pastures.

Gil lives in a round glass bowl with “a plant, a castle, and 138 pebbles to clean every day.” But it is “TOO CROWDED!” Gil cries, cradling his snoot after bumping it against the side of his bowl. In a shocking, jubilant twist, Gil slaps a bandage on his nose, shoves his rear fins into some sneakers, and packs a rolling bag, off on a quest to find a new house “that is not too crowded.” A bird’s nest is roomy, but the bird song is “TOO LOUD!” Cat’s house is huge and quiet, but…there’s a cat in it. Gil hitches a ride on Turtle’s house, but when the spoilsport reptile reminds him that fish “can’t breathe air,” Gil suddenly realizes that he’s suffocating. This plays out in vignettes in dramatic, Wile E. Coyote fashion. Luckily, his human, an overalls-clad Black child with short, curly hair and a bow, comes to the rescue and brings Gil back to his bowl. And when Turtle moves in too, it turns out that a bowl with a plant, a castle, 138 pebbles, and a friend is not too crowded after all. The story is a satisfying balance of familiar and fresh, with an endearing protagonist and an especially timely message about isolation and connection.

Utterly delightful. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews