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Adventures with Finn and Skip

Fish: A tale about ridding the ocean of plastic pollution

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Meet Finn the fisherman and his dog, Skip, in this illustrated story book for young children that teaches them about plastic pollution and recycling.

All Finn wants is to catch a nice, tasty fish for his dinner but no matter how hard he tries all he seems to catch at the end of his fishing line is other people's rubbish. At the end of the day, Finn and his dog Skip go home with a full boat, but with empty tummies. However, they soon find a way to put the rubbish they have found to good use...

This book is the ideal introduction to the environmental concerns facing our oceans for children, featuring colorful illustrations and an engaging, light-hearted storyline. Grown-ups and children will enjoy reading together and following the story of Finn and Skip with its ups and downs, and pointing out all the different pieces of rubbish that Finn catches in the ocean in the detailed illustrations.

With its attractive illustrations, Fish is the perfect addition to a child's bookshelf. Young readers will love this picture book with a timely and ultimately uplifting message.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2020

112 people want to read

About the author

Brendan Kearney

88 books26 followers
Brendan Kearney makes his illustration debut with Flying Machines. He lives in St. Albans, England.

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5 stars
62 (34%)
4 stars
72 (39%)
3 stars
42 (23%)
2 stars
5 (2%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Lara Maynard.
379 reviews181 followers
July 21, 2020
Author Brendan Kearney’s little bio at the back of the book says that he lives by the sea in South West England where he is “constantly reminded of the threats that our oceans face, pollution being just one of them. He hopes that his book might cause us to think twice about the amount of rubbish we throw away and what we can do to reduce our own waste.” His book Fish does this successfully.

Fish starts off feeling like it’s just going to be a cute, well illustrated story about a man called Finn and his companion dog, Skip, getting up in the wee hours to go fishing from his wooden boat. But things take a serious turn and the book looks at pollution in the ocean and coastal environment, and goes over some things that people can do to help like reducing waste through reuse, repair and recycling, and trying to use reusable products.

This book is lovely to look at and a cute and sensible way to trigger the environmentalist instinct in young readers – and maybe some of the grownups in their lives, too.

I read a digital proof of Fish via NetGalley and the publisher. This review is unpaid and voluntary.
Profile Image for Kim C.
70 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2021
This book, Fish by Brendan Kearney talks about current environmental situation we face. It teaches kid’s the social awareness to preserve and take care of our environment, and in this book— the ocean. There are billions of waste that when dumped to dump sites, could be warded of by water or wind onto canals that leads to the river and then to the seas. These plastic particles become a threat to the wildlife when they accidentally eat it. Eventually, these plastic become microplastics that fishes ingest which could also be harmful to humans when ingested.

In the beginning of the story, Finn had trouble finding fish in the ocean. He keep on getting trash instead of fish. He then wondered where all the fishes had gone. The outcome of these waste that humans neglect to segregate properly will also affect our food supply. It’s such an important book to introduce our kids this early on.

The book showed us ways to recycle, reuse and consciously make an effort to our lifestyle. Highly recommend! 5/5🌎
Profile Image for Halina Hetman.
1,229 reviews22 followers
November 11, 2022
Дитяча книжка про забруднення вод, що продається в Якабу. Доступною мовою, в тому числі і візуальною, пояснюється чому сміття у воді це погано і як можна цьому зарадити коли тобі ще нема й десяти.
Profile Image for Beth.
Author 11 books21 followers
January 11, 2023
"I liked how kind the old man was. Is his name Finn? The art is cute, especially Skip. Don't throw trash in the ocean. The end." -S. Pop (5 years)
Profile Image for Natalie.
10 reviews1 follower
Read
June 14, 2022
This book would be perfect for any child above the age of 4.

I would recommend reading this book aloud to children between 4-7 as there are some tricky words that children might not understand the meaning of those words on their own. Therefore, if the book is read aloud then the children will be able to talk to the adult reading the book about the tricky words.

The story Fish is told through an experience of an older gentleman who likes to go fishing in his free time, but this time he finds lots of rubbish in the sea. The story then goes on to talk about the different things that can be done with the rubbish that is In the sea with informative information and pictures that are child friendly.
The words and pictures are entwined beautifully to help the story for educational purposes and storytelling. Especially in the section of the book where the sea cleans up team (group of children) tell the old man what he could do with the rubbish.
The reader can bring their own experience of finding rubbish on the road, parks, beaches and in the rubbish and talk about what they did in that experience or perhaps what they would do now after reading the book and learning about recycling or reusing.


There are many different teaching opportunities with this book.
English
What would you do in that situation writing (when finding the rubbish)
Writing a letter to the council about the rubbish issue.
Writing a different ending to the story – if he didn’t collect the rubbish what would happen?

Maths
Math problems- there are 15 pieces of rubbish and an older man clears 10 pieces of rubbish. How much is left?
Distance that the rubbish reached on his boar – measurement in height and weight

D.T/Art
Junk modelling creating something out of the rubbish – that is of use plant pot, pencil holder, jewelry box
Create origami boats

Science
Different everyday materials look at them and their uses – which objects end up in the sea more than others. Why is this?
Which material is suitable for a boat – fill it with rubbish
Profile Image for Christine.
132 reviews6 followers
August 18, 2020
The illustrations in this title hooked me immediately. The colors are absolutely stunning and the softness and serenity of the old man and his pup headed out fishing is one of the most soothing images. In stark contrast are the extreme colors and clutter of the litter filled waters hindering their adventures.

A gentle tale encouraging mindfulness about how we treat our planet and what we do to reduce, reuse and recycle products to keep them out of our water sources, Fish brings to light the dangers of pollution and waste like microplastics and its effects on our ecology. I wasnt thrilled to have to explain "suffocation" of animals to my 4 year old, however, reality is reality, and I would rather he recognize the risks of carelessness than end up confronting such a problem in the wild. Or worse yet, grow in a world where the wildlife is endangered due to carelessness.

This is a beautiful little title and an important introduction for young to middle elementary readers about the risks of pollution and the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. Perfect for school and homeschool lesson supplementation.

I very much appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title. I was provided with a free pre-publication copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for MK.
626 reviews2 followers
February 12, 2024
The problem of plastic pollution in the Oceans is an issue that needs to be addressed by the whole world.

This book is a picture book produced by DK, a famous encyclopedia publisher, to encourage children to solve the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans.

Plastic thrown into the ocean breaks down into micro-sized pieces, but for the wildlife and fish in the ocean, it becomes poison in their bodies.

And since plastic remains in the ocean forever, more plastic will definitely have a negative impact on marine life. Not only that, but it will also affect our food and drink.

During the pandemic, there was news that dolphins returned to the Bosphorus Strait, where cargo ships frequent, because traffic was reduced.

If humans change their behavior, the oceans will become cleaner and marine wildlife will find it easier to live there.
Profile Image for Indyrra Chrisyadewi.
29 reviews14 followers
June 30, 2025
This book is swimming with fun, facts, and friendship! Adventures with Finn and Skip: Fish is a perfect blend of storytelling and environmental awareness, all wrapped in vibrant, engaging illustrations that little readers will love.
Finn and Skip take us on an underwater adventure that’s not only exciting but also filled with important messages about protecting our oceans and sea life. The story is gentle, funny, and just the right amount of educational without feeling too “teachy.”
It’s a hit with kids who love animals, nature, and exploration. It’s a great conversation starter about caring for the planet.
990 reviews9 followers
June 27, 2022
This is a sweet story with a very important message. Finn and Skip are really gentle and become concerned about this problem after taking a nice relaxing day fishing and not getting what they expected. Then they try to solve the problem themselves and quickly realize it will take many hands to clean the ocean. That takes them to the next step of learning that it would be even easier if all the plastic didn't get in the ocean. When you are talking about such a large and critical topic, it is really nice that they take it step by step and walk us through their discoveries.
Profile Image for Ashley Dang.
1,579 reviews
July 20, 2020
A cute and charming story about a man, his dog, and their quest to fish. I thought that this was a charming book on recycling and how to help keep the oceans clean. It was cleverly told through the perspective of a fisherman going fishing and finding only rubbish and wondering what happened to the fish. I think it would be a great book to read to kids and teach them about the dangers of garbage in the ocean and how they can help by recycling!
Profile Image for Jess Smiley.
Author 24 books43 followers
July 16, 2020
A charming story introducing the idea that waste is polluting life in the ocean, ending with a gentle call to action. (The reading pace felt natural and appropriate until the children started talking about pollution and recycling. The text became heavy and preachy, but at least it was informative and helpful.)
Profile Image for suzi.
63 reviews2 followers
August 19, 2020
Beautifully illustrated, a book about a fisherman and his dog; and how they discover the pollution in their ocean. It takes a village to help fix this problem, and all their hard work pays off.

Hoping to acquire this book as an Earth Day storytime book - My birthday so I'm a bit biased on eco-friendly books. Especially ocean books.
Profile Image for Joan.
106 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2021
I've been reading a lot of children's book's lately, I really like them.
Very Informative for children, we should all do what we can to keep the planet safe and healthy, not just for the animals but for us as well.
Beautifully illustrated, I would recommend it as a gift to a young one or even for yourself as an adult.
Profile Image for Emily.
2,293 reviews
August 20, 2020
I loved the illustrations. However, the story got a little preachy. I wouldn't mind that if this book is in the nonfiction section. It doesn't belong in the picture book section. Overall, I enjoyed the message, but it wasn't my favorite.
Profile Image for Rose.
265 reviews4 followers
October 10, 2020
I always loves story about people cleaning up the ocean, talking about what we can do and how we can help. It’s a huge issue and stories like this for children is a great way to teach kids.
The art style is whimsical and so cute I love it
Profile Image for Dewi.
1,033 reviews
November 2, 2020
Kinda sad and beautiful but also inspiring.
Kisah kecil tentang Finn dan Skip saat memancing ikan di lautan.
Awalnya nampak seperti buku cerita yang imut dan lucu, namun memiliki muatan lingkungan yang tepat untuk menggugah kesadaran akan kelestarian alam.
396 reviews14 followers
January 17, 2021
Fish is a great book to teach kids about the environment. The story is educational while be entertaining. Its a great book to use while teaching kids about recycling and how trash ends up in the oceans.
Profile Image for Julie.
1,518 reviews4 followers
October 12, 2021
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This cover made me immediately want to request the book. So appealing. I love the illustration style. This is a cute book with a great message.
Profile Image for Corrie.
1,712 reviews4 followers
December 1, 2021
Fish, a tale about ridding the ocean of plastic pollution by British artist Brendan Kearney.

A charming children’s book with a environmental message. I love his art!

Themes: fisher and his dog, pollution, clean up, recycling, saving the ocean.

4 Stars
5 reviews
February 21, 2022
Children’s book with beautiful illustrations about an important subject. Creates a talking point about being environmentally conscious. My five year old grasped the point through the story as we talked about what we saw happening in the illustrations.
Profile Image for Bookworm.
688 reviews23 followers
May 30, 2024
Very cute and clear illustrations that show little ones exactly how our litter can end up harming ocean creatures and how everyone can start small by mending before purchasing, recycling properly and cleaning up after ourselves.
Profile Image for Helen.
1,486 reviews38 followers
November 14, 2020
This was a good book.
It told an important story.
959 reviews2 followers
January 21, 2021
Good message. I mostly liked the illustrations and the color palate, but it took me a while to get used to the character design for the fisherman.
Profile Image for Sandra Matthews.
455 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2023
A fun and encouraging way to build collaboration towards an important cause.
Profile Image for Lea_.
330 reviews3 followers
October 4, 2023
I really enjoyed the writing and the art!
they were fascinating
I would definitely give this book to children.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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