Oxford The Fish Who Could Wish

Deep in the ocean lives a fish whose wishes come true! He wishes for all sorts of crazy things - a castle, a car, and even fine clothes to wear. But he is a rather foolish fish and one day he wishes to be just like all the other fish ...perhaps this will be the one wish he wishes he never wished! The rhythmical text is great to read aloud and Korky Paul's illustrations take to you to a crazy underwater world. With its neat punch line, this is a book that children will just love to hear (and join in with) over and over again. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Underneath a vibrant blue sea (reminiscent of The Little Mermaid 's setting) lives a fish who can wish. Better yet, all of his wishes come true. Among the things that he wants--and gets--are a castle, a flashy sports car, a Spanish guitar and fancy suits. When he wishes that he could ski, it snows for a week, and a snowman wearing a diving mask casts with a fishing pole as the happy hero skis off an underwater ski jump. But one day, the fish inadvertently makes his last wish, when he decides that he wants to be just like all of the other fish in the sea. "But wishing was something / Other fish could not do. / So that was his very last / wish that came true." Although the tale's outcome--and message--may be a bit over the heads of the youngest readers, they will certainly appreciate Bush's bouncy rhymed text and Paul's droll depiction of the fish's wishful life. These surprisingly expressive denizens of the deep possess real pizzazz. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2-- "In the deep blue sea, in the deep of the blue, swam a fish who could wish, and each wish would come true." So begins the fanciful story of this remarkable creature and his unusual talent. Each wish, whether it be for a castle, a car, a horse, or fine suits, is swiftly granted. But in the end, this foolish fish wishes to be like every other fish. And since every other fish cannot wish--that fate becomes his as well. Told in lilting rhyme, this captivating story simply begs to be shared aloud. The ideal complement to Bush's deceptively simple text is Paul's large cartoon illustrations. Executed in watercolors, they capture the light fresh tone of the verse. The colors are appropriately aquatic blues and greens with occasional splashes of yellow and orange. The text and illustrations are well integrated, and the format is large enough to be shared aloud in small group storytimes. While it will take an older picture book audience to understand the irony of the fish's final wish, young children will be fascinated with the theme and the humorous illustrations. --Denise Anton Wright, Library Book Selection Service, Inc., Bloomington, IL Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.