A Fish Out of Water (Beginner Books)

I was trying to remember this book, while looking for a good book for my grandson. This was one of the books I remember clearly from about 54 years ago, and I can remember loving the plot.

If book devouring 3 yr old had a top ten list, this might be up there as number 9 or 10.....she has loved this book since she was about 2 yrs old and not only loves it but has transferred things from it to her everyday speech! Example: When she wants to stay up later then usual fro example , she says "Please Mommy, just so much and no more!" as quoted from the book..... also when I ask if she wants milk for example she says "Just a spot!"......and adds sometimes "You never know what can happen, you never know what!"For awhile it WAS the bedtime book.....now we have gone on to other things but she never turns down this book if I ask her if she wants to read it....Mista KAR-p as she says in her NY accent.......The downside of it being a bedtime book? It you want a SHORT story, this one is kinda long ....especially if you have a toddler you screams "AGAIN! AGAIN!" before you are even on the last page......: )

My three year old son has loved this book to be read over and over and over since he was two. The subject, combined with the pictures can help a child develop expressive language. When the fish keeps getting bigger, and the boy goes through all that trouble trying to move his fish, Otto, into bigger and bigger containers, my son's eyes get big and he gasps and looks at me and says "Oh no!" This is a delightfull tale of a little boy who feeds his fish too much, and the extremly silly, or dire(depending on your age how you see it) consequences. In the end, the pet store owner comes to the rescue after the police and firemen have done thier part to try to help get the fish more comfortable. A good lesson about listening to, and following instructions, and asking for help when you need it is within the story.

This book could be rated one star or fives stars-- It's one star if you don't want to read it to your child 1,000 times. My 3 year had the entire book memorized, so first I read it to him and then he 'reads' it to himself. It's his favorite book. A good companion book is "Clifford, the Small Red Puppy" which describes how Clifford started out as the runt of the litter, and grows huge when the little girls asks him to grow bigger. Kids seem facinated by these 'getting bigger' stories.

I loved this book as a child and now I'm having a wonderful time reading it with my son. This is a delightful story of a little boy who gets a fish and doesn't listen to Mr. Carp ( the pet shop owner) who tells him how to feed the fish. Of couse the little boy doesn't follow directions and finds out that bad things can happen when you don't follow to directions. Even though this book is over twenty years old the illustrations are not outdated. Great for anyone, but especially for kids who want a pet.

We recently got a fish as a pet and my daughter was constantly wanting to feed it. I remembered this book from my childhood and got it to read to my daughter so that she might have an idea (although a little exaggerated) about what happens if you feed a fish too much. She loved the book and asks to read it again and again. And she doesn't ask to feed the fish all the time anymore!