Review by Booklist Review
A little boy who lives in a forty-fourth floor apartment has a goldfish, but he longs for a dog. His mother is not interested in his pleas: If you can't have what you want, why don't you try wanting what you have? And so, like Pygmalion, the boy begins to try to transform his goldfish, and in no time his pet is fetching sticks, wagging his tail, and taking walks in the park. Shields' story is a familiar one, with a well-wrought predictability that young audiences will respond to. And Taylor's digital artwork, with its midcentury decor, aqua and orange palette, and highly stylized figures, evokes both a specific, retro sensibility and a timeless quality. Together, text and art form an insouciant package that will entertain groups of young pet enthusiasts and comfort children longing for canine companionship.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-A little boy who has a goldfish wants a dog and enumerates all the things a pup can do that a fish can't. His mom says, "'We'll see,'" which really means, 'NO.'" Finally, after looking "irritated but sorrowful," she says, "Well, if you can't have what you want, want what you have." The boy takes a look at his pet and soon finds that he can train it to catch sticks, climb steps, and wag its tail. The tone of the text will appeal to children, who will be familiar with the boy's attempts to manipulate his mother. The digitally rendered illustrations are hip and fresh, yet reminiscent of '50s modern. Readers will chuckle over the performing goldfish, who reads the paper when he's home alone. A winning combination of dog and fish, humor and hard work.-Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ (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 Kirkus Book Review
What's a boy to do when everyone has a dog but him? Why, ask for one, of course! But when mom refuses and points to the pet goldfish instead, the little protagonist attempts to make his case with both reasona fish can't play fetch, go for walks or wag its tailand a little manipulationunleashing his most "hypnotizing eyes" on her. Mom doesn't take the bait: "if you can't have what you want, you could try to want what you have." Taking her advice to heart, the boy, with some patience and ingenuity, makes his aquatic pet a worthy canine substitute and finds real joy in his new "DOGfish." Shields playfully introduces readers to nuanced emotions such as irritation, sorrow and bliss, deftly developing the characters of both boy and mother. Taylor's digital illustrations, done in warm color harmonies, share the post-World War IIera optimism of the Little Golden Books. With clean, simplified graphics, expressive characters and friendly spherical shapes, the illustrations do much to enhance the text's appeal. An agreeable choice for those who know the will of the canine-obsessed youngster. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
