The Little Red Fish (Hardcover)

~ (Illustrator) "Jeje's grandfather was a librarian at an old library in the middle of the forest..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–From the moment readers encounter this book, they know that they've found something different. Rather than having a dust jacket, it is bound in bright red fabric, with the title and author embossed in black print and a small illustration centered on the cover. Inside, detailed hand-colored etchings match well with the quiet, mysterious story that unfolds. For the first time ever, JeJe is allowed to go to the library located deep inside the forest with his grandfather, the librarian. The boy takes his little red fish with him. He falls asleep and when he awakes, he notices that his companion has disappeared. Catching a glimpse of its tail, he follows it to an old red volume and when he opens the book, something magical happens. A wordless spread shows several fish spewing out of the tome. Seeing his pet still inside, JeJe reaches for it and falls into the pages. After several adventures–portrayed through illustrations only–he returns to the room with his fish in hand. He places the volume back on the shelf, hoping to visit another day. The boy's fantastical experiences will resonate with readers. The characters and setting are depicted in sepia tones; only the fish and the book are in eye-catching red. Due to its small size and the delicate nature of the artwork, this offering would work best for individual reading or one-on-one sharing.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
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From Booklist

Jeje brings his pet fish when he accompanies his grandfather to an old library. After exploring the dark, mysterious building, the boy falls asleep and awakens to find that the library has grown strange. After his red fish disappears from its bowl, Jeje chases flashes of red amid the gloom, and then finds a magical book that releases torrents of water and fish. He falls down into a book illustration and catches hold of a passing bird that carries him above the ocean. There he spies his fish, dives after him, and, tumbling out of the book, returns him to his bowl. Six wordless pages illustrate the boy's rescue adventure. The text here is subordinate to the dark, atmospheric etchings, tinted with shades of gray and sepia with touches of red. The book's scarlet cloth cover is as beautifully made as every other physical element of this well-designed volume. An imaginatively illustrated flight of fancy, this is the first picture book by Yoo, a Korean American artist. --Carolyn Phelan

Books for Older Readers

Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dial (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803731450
• ISBN-13: 978-0803731455
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #283,162 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful~, April 16, 2007

By	Alex "book lover" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is absolutely amazing! I went to shopping with my daughter and while wandering through our local bookstore, this red cloth cover caught our eyes. My daughter immediately took this book from the shelf and asked me to read. The story was not only great for my daughter but even delightful to read for me. The art is absolutely beautiful and very classic. My daughter(3 years old) really enjoys to follow where the red fish goes through the story. This book became her new favorite picture book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Little Red Fantastic Fish!, April 12, 2007

By	TV Guru - See all my reviews

A friend of mine recommended this book for my 2-year old daughter. I am very skeptical about children's books and I don't "buy" too many books. But I am glad I bought this book for my daughter.

My daughter (usually a running and screaming wild child) sits still and enjoys the story and nice illustrations during the little red fish story time.

Nice red fabric book cover is a big plus and looks nice even without the gift wrap (if you are thinking of baby shower gifts and etc).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars buy it!, August 10, 2007

By	Gina Conte (Santa Monica, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Buy this book. You won't regret it. My three year old and I love it - and we're very well read and very picky!
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