Review by Booklist Review
PreS-K\b .\b0 Cynthia, who had been expecting a pony, so disdains her birthday goldfish that she "starts to pour it down the drain." When the fish proclaims itself "magical" and suggests that she release it into a lake in exchange for two 0 ponies, Cynthia agrees--but finds herself caring for her talking fish too much to let it go. Crisply rendered, streamlined shapes and jelly-bean colors will instantly draw youngsters, particularly those familiar with Yaccarino's animated TV character Oswald the Octopus, while grown-ups will enjoy the retro setting, in which leisure suits and mixed plaids are in fashion, sideburns are long, and the neighborhood is filled with funky space-age architecture. A stronger depiction of the fish's true feelings about captivity would have made for a more conclusive ending, but children will have no trouble understanding the message about withholding judgment and finding friendship in unexpected places. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Cynthia "just knew" she would get a pony for her fifth birthday, "and she would name him Marigold." But the polka-dot box she receives is too small for a horse, and instead contains a globular fishbowl and an orange fish with scalloped red fins. In a move that could give readers the wrong idea about fish care, the disappointed Cynthia begins tipping the fishbowl into the sink, and reconsiders only when her new pet protests. Like the magical fish of the fairy tale, it promises, "I will give you what you wish for [in this case, two ponies] if you will take me to a lake and set me free." Cynthia promptly sticks the bowl in a stroller and heads lakeward, meanwhile protecting the fish from a cat and some roughhousing boys, sprinkling some food in its water and shading it from the noonday sun. As in his artwork for Bittle, whose cat and dog mistrust a family's new baby, Yaccarino shows a bond developing. After a long trek, Cynthia and the fish watch the sunset by the lake and she matter-of-factly says, "Let's go home now, Marigold." In his characteristic unmuddied palette, smooth paint surfaces and ovoid, lava-lamp shapes, Yaccarino crafts a story of friendship and acceptance. Ages 3-6. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Cynthia thinks about nothing but ponies. Every year for her birthday and for Christmas, she asks for one and every year she receives something else. But this year, she is quite sure things will be different. She is surprised and disappointed when she opens the gift from her parents and discovers a goldfish. When she tries to pour it down the drain, the fish pleads with her to spare its life and promises to grant a wish if she sets it free in a lake. As they walk to the lake, Cynthia slowly realizes that the fish is pretty special and the perfect pet after all. Yaccarino's highly stylized signature illustrations, rendered in gouache on watercolor paper, are a perfect complement to the amiable story. Children will sigh with satisfaction upon reading the final lines of this droll, likable book.-Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool) When is a goldfish like a pony? If that goldfish is magical, you'd be surprised. Every birthday, every Christmas, Cynthia wishes for a pony. And every year she receives something else, ""no matter how good she was."" This year, Cynthia's hopes are up once again: ""she would get a pony, and she would name him Marigold."" Her optimism doesn't pay off, but before she can dump her parents' birthday present -- a goldfish -- down the drain, the fish speaks up: ""I will give you what you wish for if you will take me to a lake and set me free."" Yaccarino's retro-looking gouache illustrations feature strong lines, bold geometric shapes (such as Cynthia's oversized elliptical head), and solid colors. The clean art and design are a good match for the simple story, with its subtle yet effective message about the magic of companionship. A funny thing happens on the way to the lake: Cynthia begins to care about her almost-dumped goldfish. In the end, after watching the sunset, Cynthia and the goldfish, whom she names Marigold, go home together. Pony? What pony? (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this deceptively simple tale, a child obsessed with ponies doesn't get one for her birthday. Cynthia is so sure that she's already picked out a name--Marigold--and such is her disappointment when her gift turns out to be a goldfish, that she heads straight for the drain with it. But when the fish promises to grant her wish if she takes it to the lake instead, she plunks the bowl into her mini-stroller and trots off. Yaccarino creates a retro look for the accompanying art, dressing Cynthia in a school uniform-style blouse, vest and tartan skirt, and placing her in a wide suburban setting of geometrically exact houses and trees. The lake turns out to be a long way off, under a hot sun, over a bumpy sidewalk, past an intent cat and other hazards; the two arrive just in time to admire the sunset. " 'It's late,' said the goldfish. 'Yes it is,' replied Cynthia. 'Let's go home now, Marigold.' " The bonding falls between the lines, but thoughtful readers and listeners will understand how it happens, and really perceptive ones may even see it coming. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
