Don't Trust Fish

Starred review from February 15, 2025
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas. The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don't trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they're up to, since they hang out underwater, and they're always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish--but don't be fooled! Jeff's "the craftiest fish of all." All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. "DON'T TRUST FISH!" Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn't be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson's meticulous comic timing. ("Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn't that strange?") His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat's art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image ofGilligan's Island's S.S.Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled "Surly Chik'n Srir'racha'r"). A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.(Picture book. 4-7)

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Starred review from April 1, 2025
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* Despite its cautionary title, this apparent nature guide starts out reasonably enough, with literal identifications of animals by traits, but soon the science slides sideways with its "anything with feathers is a bird" before skidding into a frontal attack on fish. Increasingly hyperbolic, a confiding voice shares its suspicions: duplicitously oxymoronic names (catfish? tiger shark?), shady behavior (ships sink only when at sea--caused by whose fishy antics?), and outright trickery ("nasty" anglerfish ""cheat"" by using bioluminescence on "innocent crabs"). As preposterous accusations mount (giant metal-clad fish on robotic legs stomping onto shore, terrorizing beachgoers), our disingenuous narrator also observes the friendly qualities of the unappreciated crab. Excellently rendered, inventive art morphs from scientific realism to gleefully absurd, detailed comic scenes. A fish goggling up from inside a toilet, fins splayed on the seat, is one of many brilliantly goofy moments. Possibly presenting this science writer's workspace--a pile of nature books, energy-drink cans, a computer-screen display of a page from this book--the final spread reveals one extremely guilty-looking crab, claws poised over the keyboard. With exceptional timing in a dry comic voice, veteran playwright and novelist Sharpson's picture-book debut is immersively silly fun, while award winner Santat's always-superb art lands every possible visual punch line. Not necessarily a convincing case against fish, but an undeniably persuasive performance by one canny crustacean.

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May 1, 2025
At the start, this picture book feels like a straightforward primer in both text and illustrations: this animal is a mammal because of these characteristics; this animal is a reptile because of these. But soon, something...fishy?...starts to happen: opinions creep in. Fish "don't follow any rules," making them harder to categorize -- some live in salt water and some in fresh water, some eat seaweed, some eat other fish...and "some fish eat poor, innocent crabs who are just trying to have a nice time in the sea." The lesson gets kookier (fish are accused of spying via toilets) and turns more and more toward fearmongering ("What are they learning in these 'schools'? We have a right to know"), while the mixed-media art expands from staid vignettes to cartoonish full-bleed illustrations with varied perspectives and palettes, seemingly bouncing around with the mood of whoever is speaking. And who is speaking? By the time the answer is revealed, readers and listeners may have guessed -- but along the way, they'll have found some giggles, maybe a little fish information, and some food for thought about considering the source. Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 1, 2025

PreS-Gr 3-This hilarious book is going to be a big hit with young readers. An unseen storyteller starts by describing the five different kingdoms of animals, in artwork that is both realistic and traditional. Once the narration gets to the fish kingdom, story and art change. There are wild opinions thrown about covering how fish don't follow the rules-some have gills and some have lungs. Then the conspiracy theories start: "We can't see fish. What are they talking about? We must learn their fishy secrets." The illustrations continue to evolve into a more fantastical and comical style, with images that will have readers laughing out loud. What's really funny is the surprise that gives Sharpson and Santat the last laugh. This is a terrific book for young readers who will be highly entertained by the text and images, but it could also be used with older students for a lesson on bias, author's purpose, and media literacy. VERDICT A must for every library. It is accessible to young and old, wildly entertaining, and effortlessly instructive.-Debbie Tanner

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