Fish Had a Wish

PreS-K—While swimming around the lily-pad-strewn waters, Fish, observing his fellow creatures, begins to wish. If he were a bird, he could fly high in the sky; if a turtle, he could nap on a sunny rock; if a bee, he could buzz from flower to flower; and if a beaver, he could build a big dam. But then a mayfly drifts by and, after enjoying a great big bite, Fish realizes it's good to be a fish after all. The book's theme, being satisfied with one's own self, has been explored in many guises, but Garland lends his own eye-catching touch with images created, according to the copyright page, in "digi-wood," giving the creatures a distinctive glow. Positioned front and center on the spreads, the animals will entice children to explore the images and will undoubtedly have them suggesting other creatures to add to Fish's wish list.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA