Fish everywhere

Gr 1-4-Author and illustrator Teckentrup takes on fish in her latest endeavor. Topics are explained in simple, relatable language limited to page spreads. The book looks at body structure, the evolution of fish, geographic location, feeding habits, survival adaptation, breeding, and their relationship with people. Three spreads are displayed vertically. Color blocks on the page help readers transition between subjects. To make the reading even more enjoyable, questions acting as guessing games are sprinkled throughout, such as a quest to spot all the Atlantic cod in one picture. While important words are in bold, there is no glossary. The lack of a table of contents, back matter, or resources to consult for further study also signal that this book is not for hard-hitting research. Some information is misleading in its tendency to lean toward the whimsical. For example, the adult ocean sunfish is listed as weighing up to 5,100 pounds (on average, the ocean sunfish is 2,200 pounds). Some of the body parts in the diagram are sweeps of color; the liver is a perfect circle. VERDICT If readers usually swoon over Teckentrup's fabulous illustrations, this book won't disappoint.-Elissa Cooper, Helen Plum Memorial Lib., Lombard, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Here's a colorful, factoid-filled offering about many kinds of fish.In a sequence of topical double-page spreads, it covers what distinguishes fish from other animals (cutaway diagrams show the insides of two fish), how they evolved, where they live, what they eat, how they survive and defend themselves, how they propagate, and their relationship to humans. One spread, odd in its specificity, discusses Atlantic salmon. These subjects are explained in brief paragraphs written in a conversational tone accompanied by digital illustrations with labeled examples of well-defined fish specimens; the graphics and charts aptly flow with energy. Topic presentation is arbitrary and organizationally loose, which encourages browsing rather than strictly orderly, page-by-page perusal. Occasionally, readers must turn the book 90 degrees to read text and examine artwork. Attractive design elements include the helpful use of boldfaced type to set off names of individual fish species in captions and labels. A few spreads invite children to embark upon attention-getting "can-you-find-it?" challenges that don't really have much to do with the subject at hand, though they are amusing; one challenge encourages youngsters to find a bristlemouth lurking somewhere inside the book. Though it won't support report writers and there is no glossary or pronunciation guide, this will be welcome in classroom libraries.Nothing fishy about it: Enthusiasts can dive right in. (Informational picture book. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.