The Library Fish

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Gladys Jose (Contributor)

In this sweet and adventurous picture book, an unusually literary fish leaves the safety of her bowl to explore her library home for the first time. When Mr. Hughes finds a fish all alone in the library and names her Library Fish, she knows she’s found her true home. Library Fish makes friends in the library and on the bookmobile, checks that books are returned, and absolutely loves story time, when she can listen to all kinds of stories and poems, meet unforgettable characters, and travel around the world and even to other planets! But one day, everything outside is covered in snow and no one comes to the library. Will Library Fish be brave enough to venture outside her fishbowl for the very first time and explore the library she calls home?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Books About Books, Fiction, Storytime, Humor

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2022

About the author

Alyssa Satin Capucilli was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1957. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and pursued her interest in dance, becoming a professional dancer and dance instructor. Though Capucilli had written stories, poems, and even puppet shows as a child, she didn't consider a career as a writer until after her own two children were born. To this day she sees herself as both a dancer and a writer, and the two professions complement each other nicely: dancing is, in her words, “telling stories in another way,” and readers of her children's books can attest to the rhythm of her language. Since 1994, she has written more than 15 books for children, and her work has been translated into French, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Greek, and Bulgarian.

Capucilli lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, with her husband and children. They have a chocolate Labrador retriever named Huckleberry, who likes to watch the author at work.

Reviews

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

Have you ever wondered what happens at the library when no one is there? The library fish shows you what she does when she is all by herself at the library on a snowy day. She has many fun adventures while reading library books by herself. *Review by Melinda from the Edgerton Branch*

[Lake Shore Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

This books is ridiculous. First of all, before you even start the book, there are "instructions" taped to the fish bowl. As someone that owns fish, you do NOT need to change their water every day and can someone tell me what "feed 2 to 3 times a fish" means? This has to be a typo. Either way, you do NOT need to feed one goldfish 2-3 times per day. Then the fish goes on the bookmobile? Does the author not realize how hard it is to transport a fish in a car (especially while still in the bowl)? It's almost impossible. Then Library Fish jumps out of the bowl and has a fish bowl on its head now? The rest of the body would dry up. I know it's a kid's book and I'm supposed to suspend belief, but I don't think this author has ever had a fish. I got half way through and skimmed the rest. I would give this zero stars if I could, which is sad because I expected more from this seasoned author.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute picture book about a fish who lives in the library and what happens when a snow storm closes the library for a day.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. What happens when the librarian can't make it to work because of the snow?

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a mysterious fish shows up at school, Mr. Hughes the librarian decides to give it a chance and stay. The students get very interested in the fish as they check out books each day. The fish enjoyed story time and later decided to find a good story herself. She makes a plan to escape from the fish bowl (sort of ) and make her way through the bookshelves. The illustrations are outstanding and hilarious. Kids will enjoy this one. The last page is so funny. Highly recommended for Grades K-3.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Show Me nominee didn't delight me, but it was fine. I think the students will enjoy the last page, anyway.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun story! I’m so glad Library Fish starts a series of books! Library Fish appears on the library steps and Mr. Hughes is glad to make her a library fish. Naturally that becomes her name. She adores story time and notices someone else does too. When a snowstorm closes the library, she reads to that someone else and a wonderful time is had by all!

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, cute story. It was simple and yet lovely. It had a good pace and the illustrations were simple but good.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but where did the fish get his special helmet to leave his bowl?!?! I would have appreciated at least seeing it in his bowl before and after his adventures.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a cute idea! But the story had no "soul," the writing had no rhythm, and the art was computer generated so it had no depth. Just go re-read Library Lion again instead of picking this one up.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and whimsical tale about libraries, books, and imagination.

[IvyInThePages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children/Picture book
Type: Book
Worth?: Yeah!

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute picture book about a fish who lives in a library and the reading adventures she has one day when the library is closed due to a blizzard. Good story time read.

[Jessica Calaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 8 years


*Lots of words, for older kids for sure.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little wordy at times if you're reading aloud to a 4 year old. Otherwise, it's a cute story about the power of stories to transport us to other worlds and soar through the skies.

[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beetje lang verhaal maar wynn vond het leuk

[Deirdre Collins]

i am a reader i am a reader!!! 🐟

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

12/11/2025 - A very sweet and silly story.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute story. From a fish with tons of personality and a love of books, to a bookmobile that shares the same traits and an enjoyment of adventure to the great librarian who takes care of them both! (And can we add the importance of a male librarian and bonus for him being black!)
Great story! Wonderful illustrations that make it all come more alive!

[Elizabeth]

Cute story.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars--This goofy story goes on increasingly wild flights of fancy as a fish who loves to read immerses herself in a library-full of books. The story might be too hectic for adults and older kids, but it more matches the attention spans of preschoolers.

Humane families note: While this book is cartoony fantasy, the Library Fish is confined to a fishbowl barely larger than herself, which is both a terrible way of keeping fish and a depressingly common one in the real world.

[Melissa the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off promising, but it ended on a weird note. I think we're supposed to realize that the fish's adventure was a dream. But it wasn't immediately clear, and so I was questioning how the fish could suddenly breathe out of his tank. Basically, I was distracted by the mechanics of the story and didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping I would.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but when it took a very unrealistic turn, my mind didn't want to go along. I can see this being a hit at library story time.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was great... until it wasn't. It got weird starting with when the fish made it out of the tank. The ending was fun though.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book about a pet fish in the library!

[Thompson McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

When librarian Mr. Hughes finds a fish in a bowl on the steps of the library with a note "I love stories," he decides to put the fish in the library. Library Fish loves it on Mr. Hughs desk where it can see all the children and what stories they are reading. Library Fish especially loves story time as she listens in with the children. She hears stories of interesting characters and wild places like outer space. She likes to travel in the bookmobile with Mr. Hughes as he passes out books to children. Mr. Hughes knows the exact book to give to each of his readers.

One day there's a snowstorm, so the library is closed. Library Fish is sad that no one is coming in, but she knows how to find the perfect story. She launches herself out of her bowl and goes to the story time area. She begins reading. Outside, the bookmobile honks its horn, and Library Fish realizes she can read to the little truck through the library window. Library Fish has a night full of adventures and climbs back into her bowl.

The next morning Mr. Hughes comes in and swears Library Fish looks especially tired. She might have even yawned. When Mr. Hughes sees all the picture books on the floor and books propped up in the window and the Bookmobile truck pulled up to the window, he's confused and scratches his head.

But readers know, Library Fish knows, and the Bookmobile knows who was reading the stories and sharing them in the window.

Heartfelt and sweet, The Library Fish celebrates reading, libraries, books and smart, helpful librarians. It's nice to see a MALE librarian, and even more fantastic, he's a librarian who listens to the kid readers and matches them all with a book he knows they'll like. Library science is a science of the heart (I might need to trademark this sentence). TM. Library science is a science of the heart and it feeds the soul (TM Ha, even better) and it's nice to see an author celebrate the heart and soul of a good librarian.



Highly recommended for any story time at every library and classroom. A must read ages 3-9.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

We open with a librarian named Mr. Hughes who is a black man with short black hair wearing glasses and a blue shirt with a green vest. The titular library fish lives on his desk. We see Mr. Hughes conducting storytime and the library fish enjoying the performances. The fish rides on the bookmobile with Mr. Hughes, where they serve a diverse population of customers including a man who speakers Spanish and a woman in a hijab. But then the library is closed for a snow day and Library Fish escapes her bowl to do some exploring. She seems to be wearing... a small fishbowl on her head, presumably so she doesn't die? Super unclear on how that is supposed to be working, which bothers me. Anyway, she explores the stacks and reads books and eventually reads one to the bookmobile and then they take off like a rocket ship? (Again, really unclear if this is all supposed to be imaginary or actually happening?) Library Fish goes back to her bowl where Mr. Hughes finds her the next day. We end with Mr. Hughes finding some books on the floor in the children's section and looking confused with the bookmobile winking at us outside the window. Cute pictures but I found the story to be muddled and uninspired. Points for diversity in the illustrations and for the librarian being male and a person of color.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Once there was a fish. She was not an ordinary fish. She didn't live in the sea or the ocean. She didn't live in a river or lake. In fact, when Mr. Hughes the librarian found her, he said, "I'm not quite sure where you came from, but, if you love stories, you've come to the right place. Some libraries have their lions, but this library will have you, Fish."

Premise/plot: Library Fish is adopted by the librarian, Mr. Hughes. Library Fish soon becomes a vital part of all the library doings. But what will happen on a SNOW DAY when the library is closed and oh-so-silent? What kind of adventures or misadventures will Library Fish have on her own?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I loved all the library scenes. It was cute. Did I love the idea of fish jumping out of her bowl and exploring the library? Maybe not so much. (I have scars.) But if I look at it purely in a creative/imaginative way, it is a silly, fun story.

[James Donald]

This book centers around a fish that was at home in the library. This fish was the center of attention for everyone that came to the library. On one snowy day that no one came to the library, the fish ventured and explored for the very first time (Capucilli, A. S., & Jose, G. (2022). The library fish. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).

In my classroom, I would utilize this book for the preschool to third grade level as designated by Amazon. It is easy to read, has many pictures, and can be utilized to grab attention.

I would utilize this book for my library because it shows the concept of getting out of your comfort zone. It also shows the concept of being adventurous and moving past boundaries that one may previously have had. It also shows the concept of striving and being motivated.