Fish Had a Wish (I Like to Read) (I Like to Read Books) Hardcover – February 1, 2012

I Like to Read

by Michael Garland

Fish wishes to be all sorts of animals because each one is special, then realizes there is something good about being a fish, too.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Juvenile, Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Author and illustrator Michael Garland was born in Manhattan in 1952. He studied art at Pratt Institute and soon after graduating, he sold his first illustration to True Confessions magazine. He has written or illustrated over 40 books.

Reviews

[Shiyun li · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty illustrations with a simple message: be happy with who you are. The story is written in a patterned language, using simple vocabularies. Good for early readers.

[Jason Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fish wants to be everything but what he is, until he realizes that being a fish is a pretty neat thing too. This is an ok book, that is an easy read and has some great illustrations. The pictures are bright and cheery and usually have a full bleed effect taking up the whole page. The paper quality is glossy which really brings out the colors. I think this is a very good book to teach kids about how they are special in their own ways, maybe have an exercise where they draw or write out what makes them special. It was a good book, if a little on the brief side.

[Beverly Kennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminds me of "I Wish that I had Duck Feet" because the fish wishes to be other animals, but in the end he realizes that he wants to be a fish after-all. The illustrations are a little dark, but full of rich color and I like the larger block print for kids who are learning to read. I could also see using this book to teach the word "could." It is used often.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book for kids just starting to read: bright pictures, simple sentences, and easy words. Plus a very positive message.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has simple text, but the illustrations are a bit dark. It's a great toddler read aloud for celebrating diversity and embracing being yourself.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for toddler storytime

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how the fish in this book want to be what it is not, and then loves being what it is.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fish wishes to be a bird, a snake, a turtle, a skunk, and other animals, but then he realizes how wonderful life is for him just as he is. Lovely illustrations. Easy to read story.

[Mason King · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. Nothing particular to write home about. There is great potential to improve.

[Christine Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some kind of philosophical lesson in here about desire and the real desire is to be content exactly as you are. However! The fish is just fun to look at!!! That's the real takeaway here!

[DeA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for early readers. The message at the end is good and creates a talking point with children that you read it with.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me. Based on the cover (I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover) it didn't look like much. I figured it would just be a dull easy reader. To be honest, the text didn't do much for me. I thought it was a little strange that it would be repetitive for a few pages and then switch to a different type of repetition for a few more pages, rather than being consistent. But my son (almost 5) did get a kick out of the fish wishing to be a skunk and make a stink.
The real appeal of this book is the illustrations. The color palette is unusual--my son decided it must be sunrise or sunset in the pictures--and we both enjoyed the fact that the last pages shows all the animals featured in the book. He has "read" this one to himself several times since we read it together because he enjoys looking at the illustrations.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was Garland trying to make the new 'Rainbow Fish'? His digiwood illustrations are based on a new technology, like the hologram stickers were for Marcus Pfister in the 1990s. The digiwood illustration is more interesting to look at than the holograms in Rainbow Fish. The pictures were better inside the book than on the cover, which is unfortunate. Some of the rich double spreads are done with unusual palettes (the first three were most interesting).

The story is just as preachy as Rainbow Fish, with an unoriginal "just the way you are" message. I agree with this message, and am a great fan of Fred Rogers, but not a fan of trying to deliver a message through art. Let's talk more about Mr. Rogers. I always enjoyed him speaking directly to me through the tv, but I always hated how the puppets in the Land of Make Believe were trying to teach me whatever lesson he had for the day.

When teaching school, I always found it worked better to teach morals or ethics more directly through open talk and discussion than to try to sugar-coat an uncomfortable message in a story or song.

[Kristi Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Garland again presents a beautifully illustrated early reader for young children. Fish has a wish to be a variety of other animals (including a bird, skunk, and snake) because of their specific traits. In the end he realizes it is "good to be a fish" and changes his wish "to stay a fish". The art work for this book was created in digi-wood and lends very well to the text. The repetition of the statements, "If I were a..." and "I could..." will be helpful to emergent readers. The themes associated with this title include the following: animals (fiction), easy reader, and self-esteem.

This title is recommended for first graders or children from 4 to 8. It is aligned to the Common Core State Standards in kindergarten and first grade for Reading Standards for Foundational Skills, Informational Text, and Literature. In addition to the above, the book is also aligned to the CCSS for Language for first grade. Second grade CCSS alignments include Reading Standards for Literature and Speaking and Listening.

[Kathy Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garland, Michael. Fish Had a Wish (2012). Fish thinks the grass is greener on the other side. He sees the beauty in everyone else beside himself. He thinks it would be wonderful to be able to do things like butterfly, or turtle. Then a yummy treat buzzed by and he was reminded that his life is pretty good too. The illustrations have an interesting texture and appear to be scratched or etched. It is very colorful and there is lots of space between the words. The text is aimed for an emergent reader. An early reader will feel confident, as there are many sight words and repeated text. Also, the circular plot is easy to follow. Fish wishes to be many other animals but in the end is happy being himself. Ages: 4 – 6 years old.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would read this while discussing the importance of being yourself. Fish thought of all of the other things he might wish to be then decided that he would rather just be himself. I liked this book for that concept even though the book was very simple.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bo...
Interest Level
Grades PreK - 1
Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 1
Lexile® Measure: AD330L
DRA: 16
Guided Reading: I
Theme/Subject
Fish and Marine Life
Pride and Self-Esteem

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fish daydreams about being different animals. In the end, though, he wishes to stay a fish. Illustrations done in digi-wood are beautifully rendered and showcase the glories of nature and the wonder of all creatures great and small. An easy reader title perfect for beginning readers or as a read aloud.

[Lynda Shoup]

I imagine the Theodore Seuss Giesel Award committee will be looking at this book. While it won't be my favorite book of the year, this book is one that will help the magic of reading grow in children. I hope to add it to my school library where I am sure it will get heavy use.

[Lu Benke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations in something called "digi-wood." But that's about it. No real story line and no real variation from a typical parade of animals displaying their primary characteristics in a "It's always best to be yourself" theme. Ho-hum.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good early reader in the "I Like to Read" series. Very pretty drawings. Fish wishes to be a lot of different animals so he could have more abilities. But in the end--after eating a bug and really enjoying it--he realizes his real wish is to remain a fish!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous illustrations!

[Wendy Kuzma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and short for Toddler Time. It also has a good message about being happy with who you are.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be good for a toddler storytime. Introduces basic pond animals.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for early readers. Story about a fish that thinks beings a different animal might be better.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fabulous woodblock print illustrations in this book are stunning!

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text is okay, but not really remarkable. Pictures are lovely and vivid and the best part of this book. May make for a good toddler read aloud.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

extraordinarily beautiful illustrations for a very easy reader book.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fish wishes to be all sorts of animals because each one is special, then realizes there is something good about being a fish, too.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite Michael Garland.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fish wishes to be different animals and decides in the end that it is okay to be a fish. Interesting woodblock illustrations. One sentence per page. Good for the little kiddos.