Product Description

How can fish live in water? Why don’t they drown? The answer to this fishy question and more can be found in this latest addition to the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. The book clearly explains how a fish’s body is perfectly suited to life underwater, just as our bodies are suited for life on land.

1996 ‘Pick of the Lists’ (ABA)
Best Children’s Science Books 1995 (Science Books and Film)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #127391 in Books
• Published on: 1996-02-29
• Released on: 1996-01-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?Goldfish are the focus of this overview; several other fish are illustrated and labeled, but without supporting text or size comparisons. Facts about physiology are explained in an elementary manner. The author compares piscine and human breathing, states the function and structure of scales, discusses feeding habits and blood temperature, and provides other basic information. Step-by-step instructions for setting up a goldfish bowl are included. The pen-and-ink, watercolor, and pastel illustrations are adequate. A useful addition to a subject area that has a paucity of material on this level.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 1^-3, younger for reading aloud. How pet goldfish feed, breathe, swim, and rest in water is the focus of this lively Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book. Large, clear, labeled pictures in pen-and-ink, watercolor, and pastel and a simple, informative text explain how scales and slime keep fish healthy, how their sleek shapes help them swim, what it means to be cold-blooded, etc. There's some general information at the beginning about fish in lakes and ponds, and one double-page spread shows them in the sea, but the focus is on caring for a pet goldfish. The final instructions for setting up a goldfish bowl are straightforward and practical. The book design is open and inviting, and Keller's brilliantly colored fish swim through pages washed in aquatic blue and green. Hazel Rochman

About the Author
Wendy Pfeffer has written several other books for children,including From Tadpole to Frog and What's It Like to Be a Fish? both illustrated by Holly Keller.Ms. Pfeffer lives in Pennington, NJ.

Holly Keller has illustrated Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and You're Aboard Spaceship Earth by Patricia Lauber, as well as her own books starring Horace and Geraldine.Ms. Keller lives in West Redding, CT.

Customer Reviews

Unexamined metaphysics
My boy brought this home the school library and the title of the book intrigued me. What is it like to swim by swishing your tail, round and round, in a small little bowl; or, eating fish flakes sprinkled from above when the person decides it's time to be fed; or to live in an environment that deteriorates day after day into murkiness until you are suddenly scooped up by a net and put into an even smaller container while your bowl is being cleaned? What IS it like to be a fish? Alas, there are no answers to that question found in this book -- pity.

But ontological musings aside, this book is a good little read for kids who, for the first time, are interested in having a fish as a pet. The book uses the common goldfish as its example. It shows the different environments in which a little child might encounter a fish: a bowl, an aquarium, a plastic bag being brought home from the pet store and swimming around in a backyard pond. It also tells what the different fins are called, how do fish sleep, are they warm or cold-blooded, how do they breath water when I can't, and similar questions a young child might ask when they have their first fish. It tells you how to set up a goldfish bowl and why you put the bag in the water for awhile without setting the fishies free. Basic stuff for the adult, good for the child who shows interest in having a fish pet. Now if only that title-question was answered...

A must-have for elementary science teachers
This is an excellent book to introducing the levels of classification for living things. This book explored the physiology of fish in language that young children can understand. The facts are presented in a way that is not overwhelming to children. The illustrations are great and they really show what its like to be a fish. I have used this book with my preschoolers and they love it.

Great science book for young kids!
Wendy Pfeffer has a talent for making difficult science concepts understandable to young children. This is a lively and very kid-friendly book with cheerful illustrations that kids will enjoy and learn from.