Hooray for Fish!

May 30, 2005
Anyone who thought Cousins's Maisy was the ne plus ultra of cute had better make room for Little Fish, her latest star. Yes, he's diminutive (made to seem more so in this oversize volume), but the hero, whose orange, yellow and teal coloring brings to mind a particularly luscious frozen confection, is no chicken of the sea. However much bigger, fatter, flamboyant or even grumpier the other fish may be, Little Fish always offers up a friendly greeting: "Hello, spotty fish, stripy fish, happy fish, gripy fish," says Little Fish, flashing his bright eyes and smiling to the finny passersby (the text is set in the author's signature black, boldly roughhewn typography). Cousins's exuberant illustrations bring new meaning to the old saying, "plenty of fish in the sea." She packs her saturated, neon-hued pages with an undersea menagerie that includes a huge school of tiny minnow-esque fish and a comically preposterous "ele-fish," complete with trunk. Just when readers think there aren't any more fish to meet, Little Fish introduces the "one I love best, even more than all the rest"—his Mom. "Kiss, kiss, kiss," proclaims the text as the two pucker up. "Hooray for fish!" A book that's certain to make an impressive splash, whether read to one youngster or an entire storytime circle. Ages 2-5.

August 1, 2005
PreS -Cousins takes youngsters on an excursion to the bottom of the ocean where cheerful Little Fish greets a wide variety of friends. Playful rhymes such as -Hello spotty fish, /stripy fish, /happy fish, /gripy fish - add to the merriment. Finally, Little Fish meets none other than his own mother with -Kiss, kiss, kiss, /hooray for fish! - The various creatures include fish with numbers for gills and with strange shapes and sizes. The deep blue backgrounds change hue throughout the pages much as the sea changes colors at different depths and climates. Team this appealing oversize book with Dr. Seuss's "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" (Random, 1960), Robert Kalan's "Blue Sea" (HarperCollins, 1992), and Nancy Van Laan's "Little Fish, Lost" (S & S, 1998) for a swimming good time." -Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2005
PreS. The creator of Maisy the mouse turns to the underwater world in this winning title that features her signature bright hues and cheerful, childlike creatures. The stars here are fish, and Cousins matches a gloriously decorated assortment of them with rhyming text that encourages children to look carefully and think about similarities and differences: "Hello, spotty fish, stripy fish, happy fish, gripy fish," says a friendly baby fish, who continues to introduce friends, including "curly whirly," "twisty twirly," and other fish of many shades and temperaments. In the end, there's a kissy, comforting reunion between baby fish and its mother. Cousins isn't trying anything new here, but her proven formula of basic, enthusiastic text and bright artwork will please her fans, who will likely shout, "Hooray for fish!" right along with the text. Pair this with Saxton Freyman's " One Lonely Seahorse "(2000) for another high-spirited, beginning concept book set under the sea.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2005
As this large-scale parade of fanciful fish attests, Maisy creator Cousins's accomplishment as an illustrator is paramount: her bright, bold, mural-like art, in which her subjects are thickly outlined in black paint, is frame worthy. As for the text ("Hello, spotty fish, / stripy fish, / happy fish, / gripy fish"): Dr. Seuss did it leagues better--and more inventively.

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)