The Pout-Pout Fish
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Copyright 2008
Farrar Straus Giroux
16 pages
Picture Book

The cover of this book caught my eye. The story is about Pout-Pout Fish and how he cannot smile. His sea creature friends try to help him but it is no use. He just can't smile! Then something special happens. Pout-Pout fish realizes that he can smile after all!

The illustrations in this book are so colorful and fun! I believe that they are water color paintings throughout. There are many warm and cool colors used to make the sea creatures come to life. I definitely felt the underwater vibe as I witnessed the Pout-Pout fish turn his frown upside down!

I think that this book would be appropriate for kindergarten through third grade. This book could be a good introduction to emotions. Also could be used for talk about having a good or bad attitude and how it affects your day. You could talk about what makes them "pout"  and what makes them smile. This book would also be a good underwater conversation starter. This book does not have any awards.