Synopses & Reviews
and#160; All day, Whale swims through the ocean, wearing a poster advertising the big upcoming art exhibition. He visits the eel who wriggles abstract patterns in the sand, the squid who paints with ink, and the hammerhead shark who builds sculptures from salvage. Whale sees his friendsand#8217; confidence and creativity and wishes he could be an artist too, but he doesnand#8217;t know what to make and insists heand#8217;s too ungainly to create art. Then one day, with the unexpected help of some bioluminescent plankton, he discovers his own distinct point of view and talent.
From the award-winning author-illustrator of What Animals Really Like, hailed by School Library Journal as and#147;sublime silliness,and#8221; comes another inspiring tale about defying expectation and finding the artist within.
Praise for Whale Shines
STARRED REVIEW
"At its core, Robinsonand#8217;s (What Animals Really Like) story is a tried and true tale of a wallflower realizing his potential. But her understated, offbeat voice and visualsand#151;a mashup of classicism and graphic novel sensibilitiesand#151;makes this a standout: up-to-the-minute modern in its irreverence and offhandedness, yet timeless in its understanding of a characterand#8217;s yearning."
and#151;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Sharp contrasts between light and dark are beautiful."
and#151;Kirkus Reviews
"Children will embrace and understand the sincere, undervalued message of art as substantive and a way to and#147;share oneand#8217;s world.and#8221; This inspiring tale of artistic collaboration between the whale and bioluminescent plankton will be shared again and again."
and#151;School Library Journal
"The watercolor and pencil art makes excellent use of the spreadsand#8217; wide horizontality; while the art projects and, indeed, the underwater world are on the literal side for such an artistic-themed story, thereand#8217;s a murky charm to life in the briny deep... Whatand#8217;s particularly appealing here is the casual inclusion of a wide variety of approaches to art, making this an entertaining lead-in to art projects, especially those involving the natural world."
and#151;Bulletin of The Center for Childrenand#8217;s Books
Review
“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...Hannas 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
Review
“The story The Pout-Pout Fish is simple and engaging, with an appealing rhyme scheme and fun illustrations…both tracks feature upbeat ukulele music, and the read along track guides children with the sound of bubbles when its time to turn the page…This is a good choice for young children, and a nice introduction to talking about emotions and how others perceive you.” - Parents Choice Recommended
“Alexander Gould (the voice of Nemo in Finding Nemo) skillfully narrates the text…A good choice for school and library collections.” - School Library Journal
“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...Hannas 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
Review
andquot;A lighthearted celebration of friendship and sharing.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
andquot;This lighthearted story revels in the small acts that make life betterandmdash;cheers all around.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus
andquot;Won explores the way a simple gift and a little attention from friends can have nearly magical healing properties.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;A tip of the hat to this buoyant debut.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist
Review
and#8220;Rollicking rhymes with spot-on rhythms. . . . A fun spoof.and#8221;
and#8212;Kirkus
"Children will gleefully howl out the chorus and also come away with a new appreciation for policebug work."
and#8212;Booklist
Synopsis
A
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
Deep in the water,
Mr. Fish swims about
With his fish face stuck
In a permanent pout.
Can his pals cheer him up?
Will his pout ever end?
Is there something he can learn
From an unexpected friend?
Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading “dreary wearies” isnt really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in Deborah Diesen's fun fish story thats sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.
Synopsis
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER
Deep in the water,
Mr. Fish swims about
With his fish face stuck
In a permanent pout.
Can his pals cheer him up?
Will his pout ever end?
Is there something he can learn
From an unexpected friend?
Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in this fun fish story that's sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.The Pout-Pout Fish is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Synopsis
How do you shake off aand#160;grumpy day? Don a fantastic hatand#8212;and share the joy with a friend!
Synopsis
Elephant wakes up grumpyand#8212;until ding, dong! Whatand#8217;s in the surprise box at the front door? A hat! HOORAY FOR HAT! Elephantand#160;marches offand#160;to show Zebra, but Zebra is having aand#160;grumpy day, tooand#8212;until Elephant shares his new hat and cheers up his friend. Off they march to show Turtle! The parade continues as every animal brightens the day of a grumpy friend. An irresistible celebration of friendship, sharing, and fabulousand#160;hats.
Synopsis
Captain Bob is a bug on the beat! This rollicking read-aloud has plenty of boy appeal,and#160;featuring fun rhymes,and#160;lots of vehicles, andand#160;irresistibleand#160;bug-eyed characters in a cheerful, vividly colored world.
Synopsis
Wee-o! Wee-o! Wee-o! Woo!and#160;Bug Mobile coming through! Bugs are a misbehaving bunch, so Captain Bob, insect cop, has a busy beat. The beetles are using their bug mobiles like bumper cars, the roaches are protesting for better housing (down with roach motels!), and the crickets are up late, partying. Can Captain Bob keep the peace and maintain law and order? This enthusiastic, goofy-sweet read-aloud is crawling with fun rhymes, lots of action, endearing bug-eyed characters, and a few lessons in manners, too!
About the Author
Deborah Diesen is the bestselling author of The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark. She 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 has over ten years experience in the animation industry, and his work has appeared on the Cartoon Network. He lives in Oxnard, California.