My Goldfish

The brash claims of a young narrator appear beside portraits of his amazing goldfish in a kind of literary vaudeville act. Each picture is a subtle variation on the basic fish-in-the-bowl image, and the humor lies in the changes. “My goldfish is the strongest goldfish in the world,” the narrator declares, while the picture shows the puny goldfish poised on the table, holding the fishbowl up with its nose. The fish is not painted in detail, but rather a fish-shaped outline within an area of red paint, which gives it a solemn, almost hieroglyphic appearance. The goldfish dresses up as a skeleton for Halloween, goes on vacation and comes back sunburned and, once, forgets where he lives (the picture shows him in a drinking glass). The narrator’s love for the goldfish is laced with humor yet poignant (“I’ve told him a hundred times not to speak to strangers, but my goldfish never listens”). Barroux’s (Where’s Mary’s Hat? ) story comes across as a meditation on a life well lived, and the laughs are just as good the second time around. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)