Monday, January 19, 2015

Poor Doreen: A Fishy Tale


I could never imagined an Ample Roundy Fish - or any fish, for that matter - with such a distinctive voice as that of Miss Doreen Randolph-Potts. On her way "to visit her second cousin twice removed who's just had 157 babies," Doreen mistakes a fisherman's lure for a tasty dragonfly. Thus begins a harrowing journey that involves a Great Blue Heron, a remarkably speedy dash through the water, "a BIG BELLY-FISH-FLOP," a bit of a rest in a bucket, a swooping snap into the sky, a plummeting flight, and an introduction to those many babies.

Sally Lloyd-Jones has filled Doreen's adventure with wonderful language, imaginative swirls and shapes, incredible optimism, and asides that continually bring the reader closer to the tale. Watercolor illustrations by Alexandra Boiger fabulously paint the fish's journey with picturesque emotion and excitement.