Now in a board-book format, this splashy, fun-filled adventure by the creator of the beloved Maisy is a bright and buoyant read-aloud that pays tribute to all things fishy. Full color.

Reviews

PreS-K-Little Fish swims in the sea and describes the other fish friends he meets, using either a concept or a rhyming adjective. Based on the book (Candlewick, 2005) written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins, this animated version perfectly captures the book's bold, vibrant illustrations. Brilliant blue sea backgrounds offer sharp contrast to the bright colors of the swimming fish. Animation consists of eyes blinking, fins waving, eels wiggling, fish darting or circling around each other. British-accented narration by Emilia Fox is spot-on, offering a variety of tones and pitches for the creatures. Water-inspired music composed by Lester Barnes and the occasional sound of bubbles play in the background. The flip side of the DVD offers two audio tracks of the narration-the first with music and sound effects, and the second with page-turn signals. Simply smashing.-Stephanie Bange, Wilmington-Stroop Branch, Dayton Metro Library, OH Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Anyone who thought Cousins's Maisy was the ne plus ultra of cute had better make room for Little Fish, her latest star. Yes, he's diminutive (made to seem more so in this oversize volume), but the hero, whose orange, yellow and teal coloring brings to mind a particularly luscious frozen confection, is no chicken of the sea. However much bigger, fatter, flamboyant or even grumpier the other fish may be, Little Fish always offers up a friendly greeting: "Hello, spotty fish, stripy fish, happy fish, gripy fish," says Little Fish, flashing his bright eyes and smiling to the finny passersby (the text is set in the author's signature black, boldly roughhewn typography). Cousins's exuberant illustrations bring new meaning to the old saying, "plenty of fish in the sea." She packs her saturated, neon-hued pages with an undersea menagerie that includes a huge school of tiny minnow-esque fish and a comically preposterous "ele-fish," complete with trunk. Just when readers think there aren't any more fish to meet, Little Fish introduces the "one I love best, even more than all the rest"-his Mom. "Kiss, kiss, kiss," proclaims the text as the two pucker up. "Hooray for fish!" A book that's certain to make an impressive splash, whether read to one youngster or an entire storytime circle. Ages 2-5. (June) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.