How hard can taking care of a fish be? In Sophie’s Fish, Jake finds out. After agreeing to take care of Sophie’s fish, Yo-Yo, he starts having second thoughts as he imagines all the disastrous things that could happen. We can all relate to agreeing to helping out a friend and then realizing that we really don’t want to take on this chore and don’t want to back out either.What if plagues his mind. And to the reader, the what if’s are silly. But Jake conjures up all kinds of what if’s to the reader’s delight. He scares himself into thinking that he couldn’t possibly take care of Sophie’s fish. What if the fish gets hungry and wants a snack? What if he gets sleepy after playing games? What if he gets cold while listening to a bedtime story and I don’t have his favorite blanket? What if the fish cries for Sophie? So Jake decides to tell Sophie no, he can’t do it when the doorbell rings and Sophie is there to drop off Yo-Yo and she's in the wagon outside. It’s simple, she explains; feed him once in the morning and once in the evening. What could be easier? Finally, at the end of the story, Jake has calmed down and breathes a sigh of relief. It’s not going to be so bad – but, wait til he sees what is in the wagon.A whimsical story, filled with smiles, laughs and little ones will tell you “Oh, that’s silly” when they hear the tale. The illustrations tell the story as much as the text and this is a story that will make for a great read aloud. This was almost a “so-so” pick. The plot is pretty simple and predictable. Sophie has asked her friend Jake to look after her pet fish, Yo-Yo, for a few days. Jake eagerly agrees, but then begins to imagine all sorts of worst-case scenarios. I felt pretty ho-hum about the whole story. Until I got to the last page and laughed out loud. So now? You must read it. And trust me that the end is worth it.
What do You think about Sophie's Fish (2012)?
Some really cool stuff going on in the illustrations.
—raymond
