Smile, Pout-Pout Fish (Pout-Pout Fish Mini Adventure)

The "glum-glum" star of The Pout-Pout Fish appears in his first original board book, which touches on basic emotions. A straightforward rhyme guides the story, as the frowny blue fish interacts with a wormlike creature that pokes out from holes in the seabed. "No need to be worried./ No need to be sad," Diesen writes as the worm disappears from one hole and pops up in another, leaving the pout-pout fish with tears welling up in his eyes. Hanna's mixed-media artwork makes each of the fish's emotions crystal clear as the book moves toward a happy resolution: "What a smile, Mr. Fish!" Ages 1-4. (Jan.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"This simplified version of Deisen and Hanna's The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers . . . Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that's needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish's features, which are delightfully expressive." —Kirkus Reviews