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Dear Fish Hardcover – Picture Book, May 10, 2006

by Chris Gall (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
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Peter Alan wants to have some fish over for a visit, but what happens when the creatures of the sea take him up on his offer? Something fishy, of course! At first, their visit is all fun and games, but then, things really start to get out of hand? Watch out for a bucking bull shark at the rodeo, the invasion of a slimy school of fish, and many other playful pictorial puns hidden in these striking, surrealistic illustrations. An endpaper identifying over 30 species of fish appearing in the book is an educational bonus. Here is a fantastic flight of fancy that every child will savor, with a subtle message: Be careful what you wish for!
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 8 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    36 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Lexile measure
    AD1030L
  6. Dimensions
    8.88 x 0.38 x 11.38 inches
  7. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  8. Publication date
    May 10, 2006
  9. ISBN-10
    0316058475
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0316058476
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4 While visiting the beach with his family, Peter Alan unwittingly causes chaos when he tosses a bottled message into the sea inviting the fish to visit him. Soon after, a variety of underwater creatures begins showing up in Peter's hometown, and marine mayhem ensues from the school to the beauty parlor and beyond. It is only when the boy writes a second note explaining to the fish that they need to return home that the townsfolk can begin to recover from these unexpected guests. The text has a rich vocabulary, and teachers looking for a read-aloud that ties in with a lesson on action words will find this story a gold mine since it is chock-full of examples. Boldly colored illustrations combine clay-engraved art with digital effects to give the pages a three-dimensional look. Readers who enjoy poring over pictures that are layered with meaning on both the literal and figurative levels will find much to explore here. Gall has included 10 puns in his artwork. Some readers will quickly recognize the most obvious peanut butter and jellyfish, and the tool-related pun involving a sawfish and hammerhead shark. The others, however, will require a bit more study. Reminiscent of the fantastical work of David Wiesner and Chris Van Allsburg, Gall's art will hook more than a few readers. Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Chris Gall is the award-winning author and illustrator of Dear Fish, There's Nothing to Do on Mars, and his most recent, Dinotrux, a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of 2009. His books have received numerous starred reviews and awards including a Borders Original Voices Book for 2006 for Dear Fish and a Kirkus Best Children's Book for 2008 for There's Nothing to Do on Mars. Chris has won a multitude of awards from organizations like the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts Magazine, and is also the illustrator of America the Beautiful, a Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Book of 2004. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition (May 10, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 36 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316058475
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316058476
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD1030L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.88 x 0.38 x 11.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 26 ratings

About the author

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Chris Gall

Chris Gall

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Chris Gall has been drawing pictures for as long as he can remember. When he was caught doodling on his desk in second grade, his teacher suggested that he might become an artist some day, then made him clean all the desks in the classroom. In seventh grade, Chris won a Read Magazine Young Writers Award, and that inspired him to create stories to go with his art. After graduating from the University of Arizona, Chris became an award-winning, internationally recognized illustrator, and his artwork has been shown in almost every publication in America, including Time, Newsweek, People, Fortune, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

In 2004, his first picture book, America the Beautiful, became a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year, and his career in children’s publishing began. Since then he has authored and illustrated eleven more books, including the acclaimed Dinotrux, a 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children’s book, Dog Vs. Cat, Revenge of the Dinotrux, Awesome Dawson, and Substitute Creacher. In August of 2015 Netflix began airing Dinotrux, an animated television series produced by DreamWorks.

Chris has also worked as an adjunct professor of art at the University of Arizona and spent four years as a professional stand-up comedian. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
26 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

WIAPilot
5.0 out of 5 stars A Magical Message in a Bottle....
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2006
Verified Purchase
One beautiful day at the beach, "when even the seagulls were on their best behavior," a magical message is inserted into a bottle and thrown into the sea:

Dear Fish: You should visit us someday. Plus my Mom makes good pies.

Sincerely,

Peter Alan

Well... just what exactly happens when the fish take Peter up on his invitation and go on a magical "field trip??"

Dear Fish is the hilarious and very cute story, which reveals the "flipping and the flopping; the gurgling and the slurping..." of fish on their adventurous trip out of water! Delightful illustrations depict "fish on vacation" as they hit home runs, buck off cowboys at rodeos, assist in the building of tree houses and more!

Chris Gall's talents are wonderfully showcased in this terrific kid's book. If you enjoyed his previous book America the Beautiful, as much as I did - Dear Fish is not to be missed! I promptly ordered 10 copies for all the young and old (but very young at heart) people in my life.

Now, we'll just have to wait to see what happens when the fish reciprocate the invitation and Peter's family visit them ....Under the Sea!
6 people found this helpful
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Hawkmoon
5.0 out of 5 stars A Dream Inspiring Feast for Imaginations!
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2011
Verified Purchase
If you're looking for a fish story, you can't go wrong with Dear Fish, by, Chris Gall. Creatures come out of the ocean for a visit when Peter Alan sends them a note in a bottle while on vacation. Eventually, Peter Allen asks the smelly lot to go back home (your mother's calling!), but the story has an open ending, when the fish ask the Allens come to the ocean for a visit. What a great way to end, a dream inspirer! Incredible, dedtailed artwork, fun to read, puns to figure out and search for... I've got most of this one memorized because we've read it so often.
One person found this helpful
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Diana Fair
5.0 out of 5 stars A Caldecott Contender
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007
Verified Purchase
I bought this book because my 3 year old nephew loves fish and spends a lot of time at the ocean. When it arrived I was amazed at the quality of the illustrations which most certainly could put this book up for a Caldecott Medal this year. Happily, my nephew was as enthralled with the pictures and the sweet story as I was. This is a book he'll enjoy for many years to come as will anyone who reads it to him. For the pictures alone, a new classic that belongs on every child who loves the beach's shelf.
3 people found this helpful
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VH
1.0 out of 5 stars Poor condition
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book was in very poor condition. The pages were stuck together as though the book had gotten wet. There was some type of sticky/crusty stuff on the back cover.
I only kept the book because I was counting on using it for an onomatopoeia lesson within the week.
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Lisa Rozzelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
I bought this for my 7 year old to add to his library and he loves sea life and his new read
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davetank
5.0 out of 5 stars Grandkids love it!
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2014
Verified Purchase
My two Grandsons, ages 3 & 5 love this book. The story kept their attention from start to finish. The illustrations also done by Chris Gall, are fabulous. I recommend this and all of Chris Galls children books.
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Anne B. Levy
4.0 out of 5 stars Very finny
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2006
Note to self: Do not write "snail mail" to actual snails.

Doing so might seem harmless enough, but when Peter Alan caps a perfect day at the beach by tossing a note to his finny friends, they come a-calling:

Where you live is pretty cool. You should come visit us someday. Plus my Mom makes good pies.

The next day finds catfish mowing a lawn, puffer fish as birthday ballons, and an octopus who gives new meaning to bad hair day. It's all in surreal good fun, but little Peter eventually has to disinvite his smelly, slimy visitors.

That's okay -- the story ends with a reciprocal invitation tucked into a conch shell.

Gall hand-engraved the images on clay-coated board, then digitized the color. The result feels straight out of old Art Deco posters, but in a more contemporary palette of autumn tones and ocean hues.

Watch for visual puns on every page: the sea horses at the rodeo, mice running from the catfish, etc. Even the end papers will keep you busy.
8 people found this helpful
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JT
5.0 out of 5 stars Good graphics and story line
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2017
Verified Purchase
Good read for my five year old. He carries this in his packback now. Good graphics and story line.
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