What do you think?
Rate this book
Dogfish
Everyone has a dog, except me. So I say to my mum, ""I need a dog."" But my mum says, ""Why do you need a dog when you have such a nice goldfish?"" The little boy in this book is desperate to have a dog as a pet. After all, what's the use in having a goldfish when they don't catch sticks, they don't wag their tail and they don't go for walks? Can a goldfish EVER be the perfect pet?
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2008
3 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Shields
59 books539 followersGillian Shields was born and brought up in Yorkshire, in the north of England. As she grew up, she had two passions:books and theater. Gillian’s love of books led her to read English at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge. After university she studied acting in London. She then taught in a drama school, the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, for several years, becoming Vice Principal. She recently taught English and Drama at Beechwood Sacred Heart, a girls’ boarding school.
Having children gave Gillian an excuse to carry on reading children’s books, as well as a motivation to write them. She has a son and a daughter, and is married to Brian, who works for the New York Times Media Group.
Hobbies, Interests, and Enthusiasms
I am currently learning Italian (or trying to!) and have a secret fantasy about going to live on the beautiful island of Sicily one day, and having a little stone house with a lemon tree in the garden, and a view of the blue, blue sea! I am lucky, though, because I do live in a fantastic part of England, full of soft green fields and rolling hills and cottages that date back four hundred years.
I like to go for long walks and see the changes that the seasons bring, and I try to imagine how it all must have been years and years ago, and how the people lived. I was brought up in the north of England which is much more rugged and wild—the backdrop to Immortal.
I also enjoy being in the city—although I wouldn't want to live there all the time, it's fun to go window shopping or to big new exhibitions or shows, or just hang out in a coffee shop with a cappuccino and a notebook and watch the busy world go by.
Something I enjoy is painting. I have taken quite a few art classes and find it very creative to work with paint and charcoal and images instead of words, though somehow I can't help adding bits of poetry and scraps of words into my paintings, too… When I was at school, I was completely obsessed by the Pre-Raphaelites, and I love the way their art is so intertwined with poetry and stories. My best friend is an artist and she is incredibly inspiring to me.
I hate cooking but love the idea of being a good cook and welcoming all my friends and family to delicious meals. So I have lots of beautiful cookery books but I never get past the first couple of recipes. Every so often I get madly enthusiastic all over again, but it doesn't last.
When I am writing, I can't listen to music—I find it too distracting, but I love to listen to the radio when I am driving. I listen to pop music in the morning and classical music in the afternoon. That just seems right somehow. My son is really into music, so I enjoy sharing his enthusiasms. At the moment we are listening to Eminem, Akon, NDubz, Chipmunk, Kanye West, plus Greenday, Michael Jackson…the list goes on. My current absolute favorite is Paolo Nutini.
Another interest I have is this amazing charity called The Smile Train which carries out operations for disadvantaged children born with harelip/cleft palate. Sometimes I feel I don't realize how lucky I am, and so it's good to try and do something to help a child on the other side of the world who isn't so lucky. My family also tries to support Sightsavers International, who do simple cataract operations to restore the sight of hundreds of people in the developing world.
On a more self-indulgent note, I love to get to the theater whenever I can, and to the ballet, which I adore. In another fantasy life I would definitely be a ballerina!
I can't imagine getting through a day without reading or writing. I know it sounds a complete cliche, but there it is. I go to a writers' workshop once a week to meet other writers and exchange ideas and read work in progress, and that is hugely important to me. And every spare minute of the time at home I am reading, reading, reading…What would we do without stories?
Education
St Catharine's College, Cambridge University (MA in Englis
Having children gave Gillian an excuse to carry on reading children’s books, as well as a motivation to write them. She has a son and a daughter, and is married to Brian, who works for the New York Times Media Group.
Hobbies, Interests, and Enthusiasms
I am currently learning Italian (or trying to!) and have a secret fantasy about going to live on the beautiful island of Sicily one day, and having a little stone house with a lemon tree in the garden, and a view of the blue, blue sea! I am lucky, though, because I do live in a fantastic part of England, full of soft green fields and rolling hills and cottages that date back four hundred years.
I like to go for long walks and see the changes that the seasons bring, and I try to imagine how it all must have been years and years ago, and how the people lived. I was brought up in the north of England which is much more rugged and wild—the backdrop to Immortal.
I also enjoy being in the city—although I wouldn't want to live there all the time, it's fun to go window shopping or to big new exhibitions or shows, or just hang out in a coffee shop with a cappuccino and a notebook and watch the busy world go by.
Something I enjoy is painting. I have taken quite a few art classes and find it very creative to work with paint and charcoal and images instead of words, though somehow I can't help adding bits of poetry and scraps of words into my paintings, too… When I was at school, I was completely obsessed by the Pre-Raphaelites, and I love the way their art is so intertwined with poetry and stories. My best friend is an artist and she is incredibly inspiring to me.
I hate cooking but love the idea of being a good cook and welcoming all my friends and family to delicious meals. So I have lots of beautiful cookery books but I never get past the first couple of recipes. Every so often I get madly enthusiastic all over again, but it doesn't last.
When I am writing, I can't listen to music—I find it too distracting, but I love to listen to the radio when I am driving. I listen to pop music in the morning and classical music in the afternoon. That just seems right somehow. My son is really into music, so I enjoy sharing his enthusiasms. At the moment we are listening to Eminem, Akon, NDubz, Chipmunk, Kanye West, plus Greenday, Michael Jackson…the list goes on. My current absolute favorite is Paolo Nutini.
Another interest I have is this amazing charity called The Smile Train which carries out operations for disadvantaged children born with harelip/cleft palate. Sometimes I feel I don't realize how lucky I am, and so it's good to try and do something to help a child on the other side of the world who isn't so lucky. My family also tries to support Sightsavers International, who do simple cataract operations to restore the sight of hundreds of people in the developing world.
On a more self-indulgent note, I love to get to the theater whenever I can, and to the ballet, which I adore. In another fantasy life I would definitely be a ballerina!
I can't imagine getting through a day without reading or writing. I know it sounds a complete cliche, but there it is. I go to a writers' workshop once a week to meet other writers and exchange ideas and read work in progress, and that is hugely important to me. And every spare minute of the time at home I am reading, reading, reading…What would we do without stories?
Education
St Catharine's College, Cambridge University (MA in Englis
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 14, 2011
This book was hilarious. I was laughing out loud with my kids!
August 7, 2017
Aww... adorable! I love characters with big heads & also some really realistic-advisory-type discussion between the mom & son ^_^
Read the book here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBRER...
Read the book here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBRER...
February 11, 2009
Really adorable. Funny and sweet. Full of hilarious lines, like these:
* I say [to my mom:] looking at her with my hypnotizing eyes, "I need a dog." But my mom says, "We'll see," which really means, "NO."
* I look sad. My goldfish looks sad too. These are our sad looks.
* And my mom looks irritated but sorrowful. Like this.
* Then we all look how people look when The Situation Is Hopeless.
* After a bit my mom says, "Well, if you can't have what you want, you could try to want what you have." She ALWAYS says things like that.
The illustrations are bright, expressive, detailed and will draw readers in. Watch for more from this debut illustrator Dan Taylor.
* I say [to my mom:] looking at her with my hypnotizing eyes, "I need a dog." But my mom says, "We'll see," which really means, "NO."
* I look sad. My goldfish looks sad too. These are our sad looks.
* And my mom looks irritated but sorrowful. Like this.
* Then we all look how people look when The Situation Is Hopeless.
* After a bit my mom says, "Well, if you can't have what you want, you could try to want what you have." She ALWAYS says things like that.
The illustrations are bright, expressive, detailed and will draw readers in. Watch for more from this debut illustrator Dan Taylor.
November 18, 2012
I picked this book up on a whim solely based on the cover and the cute illustrations. My children enjoy looking at the dogs and fish and my three year old likes the story. (I think.) My one year old just likes the dogs. :D
Funny and sweet, the best line of the books is, "Well, if you can't have what you want, you could try to want what you have."
Sound advice, if you ask me, for any age!
Funny and sweet, the best line of the books is, "Well, if you can't have what you want, you could try to want what you have."
Sound advice, if you ask me, for any age!
December 9, 2008
I love the crazy big head pictures in the book. The text is also rockin' with phrases such as, "So I say to my mom..." that evoke a very conversational tone. The message of "If you don't have what you want, want what you have" is very well conceived and delivered.
September 28, 2012
He wanted a dog but his mom surprised him with a goldfish
the question is, can a goldfish be a real pet and play a dog's role?
the question is, can a goldfish be a real pet and play a dog's role?
May 30, 2020
A little boy wants a dog, tries to convince his mom that it's the best idea ever, but she's full of practical, sensible reasons that his goldfish is a much better pet. And slowly he comes around.
It's adorable! Lovely little spherical heads with some great facial expressions. Some wonderful vocabulary-building text. And a great lesson about making the best of what you have, and how it can sometimes be what you really want after all. Plus an adorable goldfish named Bubbles.
I'd pull this one out for storytimes on pets, pet care, fish, dogs, parents/family... And I'd definitely recommend it for families talking about getting pets. The mother and son in the story really do talk about a number of very real-world reasons why a fish is a better pet in their circumstances, and it would make for a good discussion with kids asking for their own puppy.
It's adorable! Lovely little spherical heads with some great facial expressions. Some wonderful vocabulary-building text. And a great lesson about making the best of what you have, and how it can sometimes be what you really want after all. Plus an adorable goldfish named Bubbles.
I'd pull this one out for storytimes on pets, pet care, fish, dogs, parents/family... And I'd definitely recommend it for families talking about getting pets. The mother and son in the story really do talk about a number of very real-world reasons why a fish is a better pet in their circumstances, and it would make for a good discussion with kids asking for their own puppy.
August 13, 2020
خوانش: ۲۳ مرداد... در صبح پنج شنبه ای که با قدم زدن های مجازی در خیابان های بارانی دی سی و ماساچوست شروع شد. انگار که امروز پاییز شده و اینجا آن طرف مرز هاست.
.
خب... من این کتابو دوست نداشتم. نه تصویرگریش، نه قصه گوییش.
کتاب میخواست بگه قدر داشته هاتون رو بدونید ولی یه جوری بود که انگار از سر ناچاری باید قدر داشته هاتونو بدونید نه از سر انتخاب. انتظارم برآورده نشد و بعیده به کسی توصیه اش کنم.
پ.ن: میدونم اونقدر بد نبود که بخوام بهش دو بدم ولی ته دلم با سه دادن هم خیلی اکی نیستم.
.
خب... من این کتابو دوست نداشتم. نه تصویرگریش، نه قصه گوییش.
کتاب میخواست بگه قدر داشته هاتون رو بدونید ولی یه جوری بود که انگار از سر ناچاری باید قدر داشته هاتونو بدونید نه از سر انتخاب. انتظارم برآورده نشد و بعیده به کسی توصیه اش کنم.
پ.ن: میدونم اونقدر بد نبود که بخوام بهش دو بدم ولی ته دلم با سه دادن هم خیلی اکی نیستم.
April 28, 2022
A boy wants a dog. He has a fish.
He makes the best of his circumstances.
He takes his fish for a walk (in a wagon).
He learns to accept, appreciate, and celebrate his circumstances.
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
I love the boy/mom interactions and mom's (unwelcome) pithy wisdom.
He makes the best of his circumstances.
He takes his fish for a walk (in a wagon).
He learns to accept, appreciate, and celebrate his circumstances.
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
I love the boy/mom interactions and mom's (unwelcome) pithy wisdom.
June 8, 2018
Cute and funny, good amount of text, great illustrations, love the voice of the narrator. Will use for pet storytime, although I'll make sure to ask questions like "do you think you could really teach a fish to fetch a stick?" and "do golfish really eat table scraps?". 3+
October 12, 2018
A hilarious picture book about a little boy who wants a dog, but has a fish! He makes do perfectly well and him and the fish go on doggie adventures together! I’ve read this book to under 5s before and they loved it and thought it was hilarious!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2019
Fun book about a boy who wanted a pet dog but who has a pet fish. There’s a theme of "if you can’t have what you want, you could try to want what you have" which some children may find relatable to their situation.
September 28, 2023
This is a cute, if somewhat strange, tale about a young boy who has a pet fish but wants a dog. The digitally rendered illustrations are colorful and fun. And I like the message about being happy with what you have.
September 29, 2018
‘If you can’t have what you want, then try to want what you have.’ A fabulous little story, perfect for exploring contrasting emotions with little ones.
August 30, 2019
A little boy learns to love his gold fish when he cannot have a dog. He figures if he can’t have a dog, maybe he can treat his fish like a dog. And it works.
December 17, 2019
Helps kids be happy with what they have.
September 3, 2020
i found this pretty charming
April 13, 2021
Nice story and good Illustrations 🤩👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻
November 5, 2010
A little boy wants a dog for a pet. He already has a fish and his mom says they can not get a dog for multiple reasons. The little boy gets creative and teaches his fish to do dog tricks. These tricks include catching a stick and waging its tail. He also takes the fish outside for walks by pulling the fish in his bowl around in a wagon. In the end the little boy is happy with his fish. I thought it was funny and showed how good it is to have an imagination. It also teaches that you have to learn to be content with what you have.
I got this book from our library and reviewed it for http://thereadingtub.com/index.asp
I got this book from our library and reviewed it for http://thereadingtub.com/index.asp
June 11, 2013
I enjoyed this book very much. The little boy is very persistent with his mother asking her for a dog. It can help children understand sometimes in life you will want something, but will not receive it. They will learn to be happy with what the have and use there imagination. Great vocabulary words children can learn are sorrowful and hypnotizing. Learning experience would be discussing with children the pets they have and the pets the would like.
February 18, 2009
I totally loved the art in this book. It says it is the first book by British illustrator, Dan Taylor, but I hope it won't be the last. I wanted to give the book 5 stars, for the art alone, but the ending didn't feel as strong to me as it could've been. Definately one to check out.
August 2, 2011
Not your usual "child wants dog" ergo "child gets dog at the end". I liked the twist and the message: sometimes, what you have is better than what you want. The illustrations were bright and funky...plus, I love Gillian Shields' books! ;)
April 15, 2012
I love the lesson learned..(love)and want what you already have. Goldfish is a perfectly good pet but that doesn't stop the boy from wanting a dog that they cannot have. Since I go through this a lot with the kids I watch I think I should read it daily.
October 22, 2015
A story as old as time. The little boy is unsatisfied with his pet fish and wants a dog. His mom says "no!" (I sense a Beastie Boys song coming on). So he pretends his fish is a dog.
The kids seemed to like this one okay as well.
The kids seemed to like this one okay as well.
August 6, 2016
Beyond LOVED this book . My son and I laughed the entire time reading it. We borrowed this book from our local library , however it is now on our must buy list . The ending was beyond adorable and my son now calls our goldfish "dogfish". This is a must buy people !!!!!!
January 23, 2009
Fun fun fun.
January 30, 2009
Boy yearns for dog. Dog is not an option. Boy has fish. Boy accepts that fish is his "dog". Great pictures, clear humor and just overall appealing.
Read
May 4, 2009Fiction:
What pet to get
I want a pet by Lauren child
Non-fiction
Fascinating fish facts - find non-fiction book
What pet to get
I want a pet by Lauren child
Non-fiction
Fascinating fish facts - find non-fiction book
May 12, 2012
The protaganist of this book is somewhat snotty.
September 25, 2009
very nice message ... like what you have, don't always think you need something else.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews