The Pout-Pout Fish

By Deborah Diesen, Dan Hanna (Illustrator)

A grumpy fish lives in the ocean and spreads dreary feelings to those around him, until he meets a friendly fish who changes his life.

6.0/7 Bookroo experts·4.3/5 Goodreads · 17,932 ratings

32 pages· 467 words· Est. 4 min read-aloud

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Mr. Fish swims through the ocean with a perpetual pout, spreading gloom wherever he goes. But when his friends try to cheer him up, he begins to question if his destiny is truly to be glum. Could an unexpected encounter reveal a brighter path? Dive into this colorful, rhyming adventure to discover if Mr. Fish can turn his frown upside down and find joy in the deep blue sea.

"Blub, Bluuub, Bluuuuub"

— from the book

From the publisher

As the pout-pout fish swims along in the ocean, he discovers that being glum and spreading the “dreary wearies” isn’t much fun anymore–especially when his true destiny is revealed!

At a glance

Format
Pages: 32
Words: 467
Reading age: 3–6
Audience: Picture
Lexile: NP660L

Themes & topics

Books about feelings and emotions Books about friendship Books about attitude Books about choosing cheeriness Books about self-discovery

What readers & critics say

Reviews

6.0

out of 7

7.0

“We love this book at our house! The pout-pout fish is the epitome of a grumpy attitude with little hope for the future. The repetition sure makes this book a fun one to read. The realization of who the the pout-pout fish really is and the happiness it brings to him is a lesson to us all to be who we are meant to be and to choose to be happy.”

Mom of Boys

Trusted reviewer

5.8

“The Pout Pout Fish is a wonderful book about seeing yourself in a new light. The book can teach children a great lesson about "turning their frown upside down" and being happy. Perhaps even more important, you can point out for little readers the enormous impact a friendly gesture can have for someone else who is feeling discouraged. While many fish offer advice and wisdom to the pout pout fish about cheering up, none of that sinks in. What really makes a difference is a friend who helps the fish to think better about itself.”

Lemony Snickers

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one