The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark (Pout-Pout Fish Adventure)

In this sequel to The Pout-Pout Fish, Mr. Fish promises Ms. Clam that he will retrieve her lost pearl, but as he swims closer to the dark sea bottom, "his heart flit-fluttered." With Miss Shimmer's help, however, he may find the pearl--and his inner courage. With colorful seascapes and bright-eyed ocean characters, Hanna gives this spirited tale light doses of humor ("Rest stop!" reads a neon sign on an anglerfish's lure), as Diesen delivers a gentle moral: "The ocean is wide, / And the ocean is deep, / But friends help friends--/ That's a promise we keep." Ages 25. (Aug.) Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1--Mr. Fish goes on an undersea adventure to reclaim Ms. Clam's lost pearl. Repeating his mantra, "I'm FAST as a sailfish, /I'm STRONG as a shark, /I'm SMART as a dolphin," he nervously admits, "But I'm SCARED OF THE DARK!" As he ventures through deeper and darker waters, his resolution falters: "I know I made a promise, /But this fish is headin' back!" With the help of Miss Shimmer and Mr. Lantern, he not only conquers his fears, but also finds the missing pearl. The playful, rhyming verse is well matched with Hanna's funny cartoon illustrations. The whimsical sea creatures include a puffer fish reading Diesen's The Pout-Pout Fish (Farrar, 2008). A buoyant tale.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"The playful, rhyming verse is well matched with Hanna's funny cartoon illustrations." —School Library Journal

"With colorful seascapes and bright-eyed ocean characters, Hanna gives this spirited tale light doses of humor ('Rest stop!' reads a neon sign on an anglerfish's lure), as Diesen delivers a gentle moral: 'The ocean is wide, / And the ocean is deep, / But friends help friends—/ That's a promise we keep.'." —Publishers Weekly

"An entertaining read-aloud and a nice lighthearted vehicle for dealing with fear." —Kirkus Reviews