Why I Picked It Up:
Last Christmas, Sherry bought this brilliant book for me. I was intrigued from first sight. The cover, solid black, with a small fish with a Charlie Chaplin hat swimming across the front. The title just adds. Automatically I found myself grinning.
Why I Finished It:
This seemingly simple book is anything but. The little fish from the cover is sharing a story through simple text, but the pictures on each page provide the reader with the full story. The little fish has taken a much larger fish’s hat. While explaining how he won’t get caught and it doesn’t matter, because it’s better on him anyway, his text stops short. The pictures show the much larger fish looking for his hat and finally wearing it at the end. Not only did I finish it, I had to reread it a few times, both the words and the pictures.
Who I Would Give It To:
Everyone! It’s such a simply complex book! The youngest of children will find the story entertaining, older children will find deeper messages throughout.
This story is perfect for teaching students to ask questions about a text. It’s important for students to ask questions before, during, and after reading. Have students generate questions before they begin reading. “Who’s hat is it?” “Why does he have the hat?” etc. These questions should be helping students make predictions about the story which will establish a purpose for reading, as well as build some anticipation. While reading, students should ask questions about the little fish’s story and what is actually happening. “Will the fish get away?” “Will the big fish get his hat back?” At the end, since the text ends before the end of the story, there are so many questions that students can still wonder about.
Stealing is wrong. This one lesson is taught over and over to young children. This story illustrates that point. Have students share the lesson in this book in relation to the characters and then discuss further based on their own stories of why stealing is wrong. Is it ever okay to steal?
Writers’ Notebook/ Writing
Students can take the ideas discussed earlier and write down their own stories as to why stealing is wrong or any other reflection of the story. Students can also write and draw what they think happened to the little fish. Older students could write the story for the larger fish, which was only told through illustrations.