The Cod's Tale

by Mark Kurlansky

The Cods Tale by Kurlansky, Mark. Published by Putnam Juvenile,2001, Hardcover

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, History, Science, Animals, Childrens, Spain

Paperback

Published January 1, 2014

About the author

Mark Kurlansky is an American journalist and author who has written a number of books of fiction and nonfiction. His 1997 book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (1997), was an international bestseller and was translated into more than fifteen languages. His book Nonviolence: Twenty-five Lessons From the History of a Dangerous Idea (2006) was the nonfiction winner of the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought that the history of cod fishing would make such fascinating reading? But the way Kurlansky tells it, it does. As in his book The Story of Salt, Kurlansky talks about how the availability of cod affected various cultures in Europe, the Caribbean, and America. I didn't know that the Basques were such expert fishermen, and that they were fishing off American shores as early as the late 15th century. Because they never established a colony in the New World, however, they never made the cultural impact that the Dutch, English, and French settlers did. I must read more about the Basque people. I also found the effects of the end of slavery in the Caribbean on the cod industry interesting. Cod was cheap food for the slaves. When slavery ended, a huge market for cod was lost. The information about the endangered state of the cod population now was alarming. Maybe I should stop eating cod! I think now I'll have to read the adult version of this book. Very interesting and recommended!

[اليازية خليفة · Rating 4 out of 5]

**طالعت الكتاب المترجم إلى الصينية**

بشكل العام القصة خفيفة والرسومات أكثر من ممتازة لتعليم القارئ الصغيرة مسيرة الصيد وحياة هذه السمكة -- اعتقدت من الرسومات في البداية أنها سمكة شبوط، ولكنني لست متأكدة من ترجمة cod

آمل أن أقرأها مرة أخرى بفهم أعمق للنص.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took issue with some of his tone when he seem to be of a different idealogical perspective. However, overall I like the book and find the pieces of history quite interesting and I also like how you hear bits of other books that this author has done woven in with this one.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They actually made an audiobook about a type of fish?!" This seemed so ridiculous that I became curious. Then I read so many positive reviews about it I was amazed and had to read it for myself. (by the way when I say "read" I almost always mean "listen") This book is about history and how history was influenced by the Cod fish. That's right, the history of the Cod...how a single type of fish influenced the vikings, the pilgrims and others. In a way it was like a good documentary on the history channel. It is only 50 minutes long, not much risk in trying it out.

[Griffin Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little educational book, appropriate for a younger audience but I read this because I was reading portions of Kurlansky’s “ COD: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World” for a class and wanted to read this succinct nice little illustrated version alongside.
Nice tid bits with recipes and anecdotes on cod’s place in daily life throughout history & influential people and peoples who consumed them.

[Backoff51 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Mark Kurlansky detailing the life and times of cod. This is a book for young people, but it contains very interesting information for adult readers.

You will enjoy this Kurlansky effort.

[Mary Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scribd Audio

A forgettable fish with an unforgettable story. Great worldwide historical perspective on cod interweaving with history and culture.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and an informative story.

[Maggie Panning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books like this that take us on a tour through a portion of history with a super narrow focus.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the nonfiction picture book adaptation of Kurlansky’s New York Times bestseller, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, a younger group of readers will be exposed to the significant history of this very ugly fish. The book traces the influence of cod in the lives of Europeans and Americans from prehistoric times to modern day. A time line along the bottom of each page highlights important events (many familiar) that relate to cod. Did you know that cod allowed Vikings to cross the Atlantic to North America, helped new world settlements to become prosperous, and made many a man very rich?! Yet, there are some dark parts to the history of cod as well, such as the fact that it was a crucial component to New England based slave trade. As students read page after page about people throughout history gorging themselves on cod, they might begin to wonder about the sustainability of such actions. The last two pages include harrowing facts about declining fish populations, and leave readers with the question: “And what will happen to man if there are no more fish?” Kurlansky actually answers that questions in another of his books for grades 5-12—World Without Fish. Both of the titles are relevant in the classroom NOW! Great for connecting current events and environmental studies to history! Lastly, S.D. Schindler’s illustrations tickle the funny bone and are also informative visuals.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very informative look at the importance of cod to people of the past and present. Includes how the development of different preparation techniques helped humanity travel farther, or introduce fish to peoples who wouldn't otherwise get it.

Though I learned a lot about cod, I was not always a fan of the author's tone, as it bordered on "preachy" several times (mostly in reference to the evil humans). Yes, we do need to be stewards, good stewards of the natural world around us. No, this should not mean that we stop using the resources we have, we simply need to use them better and try to replenish them whenever possible. (While the author goes into detail on the dangers of extinction and slightly mentions laws that have been passed to protect the cod, he does not put forth any effort to suggest any way to fix the problem, or what people are already doing to fix the problems mentioned. One sided arguments always annoy me.)

Anyway! If you need a fishy book, you could do worse; you could probably also do better.

No overt content issues; already mentioned my main quibble.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A survey of the importance of cod in the lives of Europeans and North Americans, from the Vikings to modern day fish stick eaters.

This is a very informative book, containing little-known facts. I had no idea there was evidence that the Basque fished whale and cod up around North America before Christopher Columbus made it to the Caribbean. I also hadn't realized the role of cod in the welfare of the Pilgrims and other communities. At times it does feel like Kurlansky blows the importance of cod a teensy bit out of proportion, perhaps because it is a microhistory and ignores lots and lots and lots of other factors in many of the historic events highlighted. Still, an informative look at the role of one species in the welfare of others. A good book for history classes looking at how resources influence populations, or science classes study symbiotic relationships. Environmental science classes could also use this as a jumping off spot for further research into how overfishing is influencing the world (Kurlansky does touch on this and some efforts to mitigate the problem but just briefly).

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a fairy tale until I started reading it. It is a true story of the codfish. I think that most children would need this read aloud to them and probably wouldn't much care for the poem and some of the sidebar information.

It traces the history of cod from Viking times to the present. There is a timeline. There are snippets from cookbooks, poems, and other primary sources. It is fascinating! I didn't realize how important cod was to the world as we know it today! I recommend this book to everyone. It is quick to read and so informative. Vikings, Icelanders, Cape Cod and the Pilgrims, the slave trade, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, Birdseye frozen fish....all needed COD!

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pretty skeptical about this book, because the adult version is one of those NPR books that sounds eminently edifying but deadly dull, all with one-word titles (Longitude. Cod. Salt. Wallpaper: The Home Decor That Changed The World. Limestone: The Sedimentary Rock that Changed the World. Etc.) Anyway, the children's book is yes, edifying, but also quite readable and I learned a lot. About, for example, how the cod trade related to the slave trade.

I wish all NPR books had children's versions.

[Colby Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cod is pretty much as ugly a fish as you will see around, so when someone recommended this book to me I wasn't too excited. However, after reading this picture book about how important cod has been to the development of America my feelings toward the ugly fished have changed. Like many nonfiction books today, A Cod's Tale details humans destruction of the species, but this book also does a nice job showing just how important the fish has been to people throughout the world. A great book to have in any library.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, the picture book is only listed as an edition of the main book, I'm combining the two reviews here.

Book 4-2023: 3 stars, really enjoyed learning more about cod and its role in history. Found the first half more interesting, and wished there was an update somewhere of what has happened in the last 20 years.

Picture book 12-2022: 4 stars, a long picture book about the history of cod, its importance to humans, and how it is facing extinction. Fascinating to this adult reader, and to my 7- and 5-year-old boys!

[Cassie Charlesworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're interested in eating or learning about cod then this is the book for you. It follows cod fish through the times and how things have changed. However, this book was not one of my favorites. Nevertheless, the illustrations were quite charming. There is a lot of surprising information in this book.

[Aska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the book not only discuss parts of the fish and life cycle of a cod but how it was involved in history. Such as cod's role in American Revolution and so on. When I use this in the classroom, I break it up into few sections. Students discuss how the book was organized and what the author's purpose was in writing this particular informational book.

[Mandy Laferriere · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, pretty interesting overview of the history of cod and how it shaped civilization, from Vikings to modern day. I did learn a few things, and have a few ideas about how I can pair it with some other titles in my library. The writing was a little choppy, though, and the little side stories and recipes, etc., in the margins didn't integrate well into the story.

[Julianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice adaptation of an adult book. The text is problematic (essentially claims white men discovered cod, also dedicates .5 pages to the role of the slave trade, also mentions nothing of the masacres of indigenous peoples by colonist, etc.). The text should only be taught if the instructor is willing to point out the issues of the narrative.

[Sharon French · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my son every night until we were done when he was about 11. It is one of the best memories I have of his childhood. This book is good for adults as well as children. You will learn about things you never thought of and have a better appreciation of the circle of life.

[Marilynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at history through the story of a fish. Had a little trouble keeping track of the countries involved, so only gave it four stars. Great story could have been written a little better.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could this book not have a full-out, 100% five-star rating? It's brilliant! History revealed with storytelling genius! Life lurking in vignette. Hilarious tragedy. Heart-breaking humor. Thanks, Mark Kurlansky.

[Noninuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This young readers version of the book give readers a short but precise story of cod. The reason I still went for the children version of the book is because I'm afraid I'm not going to like the details that come with the original.

[Shala Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A streamlined version of his Cod book for adults intended for middle schoolers. A lot of interesting tidbits that made me want to read his adult book so I could learn more. Some hard issues are glossed over, hence the three stars.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the big kid's version, only far more adorable.

[Liz Thackeray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A multi-genre model. It is more research based than the -ology multi-genre books.

[Mary-Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The children's version of the adult bestseller. Insightful information about how cod contributed to the history of the world (settlement of the Americas).

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting facts about the cod-fishing industry, since the times before Chris Columbus landed on North American shores to the present.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I learned so much. If you read Salt, then this makes perfect sense as a follow-up. Great book.