Review by Booklist Review
When classmate Sophie asks Jake to babysit her fish for the weekend, he agrees. After all, it's only a fish how hard can it be? But as Jake anticipates Yo-Yo's arrival, doubts creep in, like what if the fish wants a snack (and what kind of snack) and what games will he want to play? Jake starts to think fish-sitting is not such a great idea, and he decides to proclaim his home a fish-free zone and hide. But when Sophie arrives and reassures him, Jake gains his confidence back. Then, in an amusing final twist, he finds a surprise waiting for him. Jake's animated first-person narrative makes for an entertaining read, as does the design, which incorporates various fonts and sound effects. Colorful, mixed-media illustrations whimsically depict characters and scenarios, and details, like Jake's imagined Strawberry Worm Cake (to feed Yo-Yo) and clocks with fish-shaped hands, invite scrutiny. This story sympathetically depicts a familiar problem and tackles issues related to being responsible, doing the right thing, and being a good host.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Jake, a redheaded, bespectacled geek in short pants-sort of a young Woody Allen-wrings his hands over the prospect of taking care of his friend Sophie's goldfish. "What if Yo-Yo gets hungry and wants a snack?" he worries. "What kind of snacks do fish like to eat?" White's (Druscilla's Halloween) loopy ink, watercolor, and collage spreads dive deep into Jake's psyche, showing him offering a slice of Strawberry Worm Cake to the fish, who lounges in a chair in a formal suit and bowtie. Cannon (A Crazy Day at the Critter Cafe) pursues the boy's concerns to their inevitably calamitous end, which has him envisioning the fish sobbing as it awaits Sophie's return. A deftly executed sequence of panel illustrations provides genuine suspense as Jake plans to refuse the fish and awaits Sophie's arrival with widened eyes. In White's gentle idiom, there's nothing frightening about Jake's worries; they draw sympathy for him and, by extension, for any kid who expects the worst. And sometimes, as the gag ending suggests, it's good to be prepared. Ages 3-5. Agent: Tracy Adams, Adams Literary. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-After Jake agrees to babysit Sophie's fish for the weekend, he spends the afternoon concerned about this new responsibility: "I don't know anything about taking care of fish!" In an increasingly surreal series of imaginings, he worries about feeding, entertaining, and comforting his piscine guest. He is relieved when his friend informs him that he just has to feed Yo-Yo twice daily. "Babysitting Sophie's fish will be a snap!" ... but in a surprise twist, the pet turns out to be a giant, scary-looking lantern fish, perhaps not such an amiable guest after all. The rather ridiculous humor is reinforced by quirky mixed-media illustrations. Fishy details wait to be discovered by observant viewers, such as fish-shaped leaves on trees and fishily re-titled children's books. There's not much point to the story, but kids will enjoy the silliness that abounds in both text and pictures.-Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL (c) Copyright 2012. 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
Jake's classmate Sophie asks if he'll babysit her fish Yo-Yo for the weekend. He agrees--"how hard can it be?"--but second-guesses himself, constructing scenarios for which he'll be unprepared. Jake is adorably neurotic, and the (sort of) twist ending is executed brilliantly. White's illustrations are fascinatingly surreal-looking and subtly hilarious (Herring Potter is on hand for Yo-Yo's bedtime reading). (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
