The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School

In repeating, rhymed verse, Diesen recounts Mr. Fish’s first day of school. With big, purple-rimmed eyes and downturned lips, he roams from classroom to classroom, trying to keep up (“The class was doing math,/ And most everybody knew it./ So he tried long division.../ But he just couldn’t do it”). Finally, kindly Miss Hewitt introduces him to her classroom for Brand-New Fish—right where he belongs. While Mr. Fish’s story ends a bit oddly, with a class reunion years later, readers who have known the sinking feeling of falling behind at school should find their spirits buoyed. Ages 2–5. Author’s agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. (July)