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Mr. Fish provides a glimpse of a
substitute teacher’s first day of school.
Though it’s not the official first
day of school for everyone, it is the first day Mr. Fish will be a sub. At the
school entrance, he meets a small, nervous little fry wearing glasses who is
just starting school. Pout-Pout Fish tells him they will have to help each
other, and they do, each one drawing on his own confidence and skills when the
other is lacking. Mr. Fish remembers where the classroom is, and the fry breaks
the ice for the nervous teacher by asking him to tell the class about his own
school days. Mr. Fish shares his lunch when the little fish realizes he’s
forgotten his, and the fry invites Mr. Fish to play with the students at recess
(their ball is the clam they all recently sat with at lunch). It’s a successful
day for everyone. Hanna’s cartoon illustrations share the same animation
aesthetic that marks the series. This is meant for a younger crowd than the
original Pout-Pout Fish books, and this title includes sheets of stickers in
the front and back (evidently for general decoration, as there is no indication
they should be applied to the book).
Fans of Pout-Pout Fish will get a
new perspective in this back-to-school title that shows even adults get nervous
when facing the new and unknown. (Picture book. 3-5)
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