"If you could truly have a wish, would you wish to be a fish?"

Author: Lois Ehlert
Title: Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On Publisher: Voyager Books/Harcourt, Inc., 1990

Grade Level: Primary (K-2)

Summary: The books follows the fulfillment of a person's wish to be a fish. Ehlert then proceeds into a counting book that counts up to ten using fish.

Strengths: The illustrations are bright and beautiful of the different fish. Ehlert utilizes double page spreads of bright, exotic fishes to capture the audience's attention. Another strength is the placement of the text. In the beginning Ehlert uses page turns to grab the reader's attention and once the counting begins makes sure to use both the number and the number word. Another strength is the small gray fish on the bottom of each page. In the counting part of the book the fish helps students understand simple addition by stating how much him plus the number of fish on each page would make.

Concerns: While I praised Ehlert's use of the gray fish on the bottom of each page, the fish is hard to see as well as the accompanying text. Students or teachers may not necessarily see the gray fish to be able to utilize the simple addition provided. I know that I did not see the little fish until I read the book a second time.

Classroom use: The arts are a clear transition from the colorful illustrations of Ehlert to the classroom. Students could make their own fish or colorful counting books. Students could also make their own counting books using an animal they wish they could be.

(image from Amazon.com)