Ugly Fish by Karen Lareau - a 5 star picture book cautionary tale

Great illustrations, and a cautionary tale everyone sometimes needs to be reminded of, regardless of their age:  If you act like a jerk, someone is going to settle your hash sooner or later.

Now rest assured, Ms Lareau does not use language like 'jerk' anywhere in this book.  Instead it is about a pretty but greedy fish who did not want to share his home, despite repeated attempts to provide him with friends. When he finally comes around to the idea that it might be nice to have some company, his next friend isn't much interested in him.  She presents the tale in a way that both surprises and horrifies - through in many repeated presentations at story time kids love this story and understand it - they aren't scared or horrified.  Parents, and other adults, sometimes react in surprise and horror because the outcome is not saccharine, as most kids books.

First posted on Goodreads

Resurrection

Ok, I have such a hard time keeping track of passwords, that I lost the ability to update this missive for literally years.  Then recently, revelation and huge aha! moment, I finally figured out how to find my secret password file!

Still, I didn't begin posting entries again, until something like an earthquake shook my world - I work for Borders, the soon to be defunct 2nd largest bookstore company in America. I've been writing my reviews on staff selection slips and there just hasn't been a need for recording them here - now all that changed, didn't it. My time with Borders comes to an end, simultaneously with their demise - as of Friday, the liquidators who will be in charge don't care about book reviews.  They care about moving those units - fast as possible, eventually with deep discounts - and units to them will include the shelves and displays as well. It'll be a circus for 8 weeks or so, and then it will all end.

But enough of the sadness and on to the silver linings - I will return to reviewing books here, and occasionally muse on the rest of life.