The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish (A Pout-Pout Fish Adventure)

Excellent book. My toddler son loves all of the Pout-Pout fish paperback books. I also really like reading them to him because they are written in a sing-songy way that makes it fun and easy to read over and over and over and over and over ... if you have a toddler you know what I'm talking about.

My Review: Its the holiday season and Mr. Fish is looking for the big, bright and perfect gifts that would bring delight to his friends. The gifts has to be meaningful and has a bit of bling-zing, but he is running out of time. He has gone from one store to another and they are all sold out. What is he going to do? Miss Shimmer come to the rescue and suggested home made gifts, the best gifts that comes from the heart.

I like that this story will inspire children to create gifts that comes from their heart that will be appreciated by their friends and family. The illustrations are colorful and bright bringing each page alive. I highly recommend the book for your home libraries.

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from prbythebook in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.

Pout Pout has trouble shopping for his friends' holiday presents until he learns that "....the best gifts of all come straight from the heart." So he makes gifts for them and they are a huge success.

Pay attention to the details in the first store he visited, where the inventory included Davy Jones's Gym Locker, Kraken's Crackers, Das Boot, Massage in a Bottle, Abalone with Blolgna, and other nautical choices.

This was our first introduction to the Pout-Pout Fish series and I have to say, this book was a lot different than I expected based on the title and cover art. I had guessed that the story would be about a grouchy fish that needed cheering up to get into the Christmas spirit with the help of his close friends. I did not expect such an important and relatable theme and lesson to be the real root of the story.

Mr. Fish starts off by making his Christmas to-do (and to-buy) list with all good intentions hoping that he will be able to bring joy and happiness to his dear friends. He goes from store to store in search of the perfect gifts and because of one thing or another leaves empty-handed and dejected. Crushed that he has all but ruined Christmas, he ends up learning (with the help of one of his friends) that the best gifts come from the heart and he turns what was a stressful and unsuccessful gift hunt into something fun for him and meaningful for his friends- a great lesson for all around this time of year!

The story is also told in a nice rhythmic rhyme so is fun to read out loud and since there are parts that are repeated throughout the book, kids will be able to memorize the "chorus" (for lack of a better term) and chime in.