Fish is Fish

by Leo Lionni

From beloved Caldecott winning picture book creator Leo Lionni, this charming tale of sticking together and imagination shows how powerful friendship can be.

Two best friends, a minnow and a tadpole, are practically inseparable until the tadpole grows legs and decides to explore the world beyond the pond. When the tadpole, now a frog, returns to tell his friend of the extraordinary things he’s seen, the minnow, now a fish, tries to follow in his footsteps, but quickly finds that land is not what he expected. Friendship truly saves the day in this imaginative tale of a fish out of water.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Friendship, Science, Nature, Classics

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children's books. He received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner--for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Leo Lionni died in October of 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy, at the age of 89.

Leo Lionni has gained international renown for his paintings, graphic designs, illustrations, and sculpture, as well as for his books for children. He was born in Holland in 1910 of Dutch parents, and although his education did not include formal art courses (in fact, he has a doctorate in economics from the University of Genoa), he spent much of his free time as a child in Amsterdam's museums, teaching himself to draw.

Lionni's business training gradually receded into the background as his interest in art and design grew. Having settled in Milan soon after his marriage in 1931, he started off by writing about European architecture for a local magazine. It was there that he met the contacts who were to give him a start as a professional graphic designer. When he moved to America in 1939, Lionni was hired by a Philadelphia advertising agency as art director. Later he became design director for the Olivetti Corporation of America, and then art director for Fortune magazine. At the same time, his reputation as an artist flourished as he began to exhibit his paintings and drawings in galleries from New York to Japan.

Lionni launched his career as an author/illustrator of books for children in 1959. Originally developed from a story he had improvised for his grandchildren during a dull train ride, Little Blue and Little Yellow was the first of what is now a long list of children's picture books, including four Caldecott Honor Books.

Reviews

[بثينة العيسى · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب الأطفال الذي يصنع الجدل هو المفضل عندي.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young fish and a tadpole are friends but as they grow the frog has a new world to explore and the fish does not. His friend tells him of the world above which he imagines in a fish type way. The illustrations were nice, soft coloured pencil drawings and the world seen through the fish's eyes is an imaginative look at the world through another's perspective.

The fish eventually tries to see the world for himself which nearly ends in disaster. As Lionni's books always seem to have a moral to the story I was left wondering what this one could be? Don't move away from where you grew up? Don't strive for a different life? Stick to what you know? However I expect children will enjoy this as a fish story.

Read on open library.

[Esmoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little book. My only complaint is that it might be difficult for children to discern what the "moral" of the story is. I believe the author meant for it to be something along the lines of "do what you excel at rather than trying to be what you're not" but this could easily be misinterpreted as "don't pursue your dreams or you might die." Heh.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember loving this book (it survived many culls of books over the years), and looking at it now, the illustrations are beautiful and textured, the imaginative glimpses of what fish imagines the world to be like fun and whimsical. But the underlying story is disappointing. The moral seems very much that you should stick to your pond and to what you know - that the wider world is not for fish, only frogs. The fish's desperate struggle for breath and his realisation that he is not allowed to partake in the exotic imagery his friend can hop freely to admire is not something I would want children to end a book on. I want children to believe they can achieve and do and visit whatever they want. I want to impart a sense of openness and freedom that this book essentially takes away. Yes, we are all what we are and have the talents we have, but we can also visit and understand so much more than our own little pond.

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fish is Fish or Fish, know your place

[David Kohler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that tells grown-ups about how people learn. I've used it to illustrate how wrong the "peoples are blank slate" myth in education; instead, people come with their own understanding and misconceptions which they use when feeding new information. In the end, this is a book about constructivism.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

UN PESCE È UN PESCE Fiaba musicale è una bellissima e dolce storia di amicizia tra un pesciolino e una ranocchia che si incontrano all'interno dell'acqua e crescono insieme scoprendo la magia dell'aria. Una magica e onirica fiaba musicale senza tempo. Da 4 anni ❤ https://ilmondodichri.com/un-pesce-e-...
#unpesceeunpesce #fiabamusicale #babalibri

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most people who are not parents and/or experienced with "literature for the pre-literate" don't quite understand that there's actually a lot of depth and quality to the genre if you look for it. For one thing, because most of the stories have to be told primarily with the pictures, the artwork involved can be absolutely AMAZING. Secondly, a lot of the stories take either very serious concepts (such as mortality or family changes) or very important concepts (the process of classification and other bits of science) and make them palatable and understandable for very young children. There is a LOT of skill involved when you want to do those things and also tell a story that doesn't bore the everloving Pampers off of the target audience.

This book, however, accomplishes NONE of the above. The artwork is the most acceptable part of the equation, but it's nothing more than okay. What gets me most is that I, as a grown woman, an educator with a Master's degree no less, couldn't tell what in the world the story was supposed to BE! At first, when the tadpole is transforming and the minnow stays the same, I thought that the book would be a story about different life cycles. NOPE. Frog grows up and hops away. The fish is then sad. Maybe this is a story that focuses on how sometimes our friends grow up and move away (appropos since we are coming to the end of the year and some kids are graduating)? NOPE. Frog comes back and describes animals he's seen to Fish, who....imagines them all as fish in costumes. Uh, maybe this story will talk about differing perspectives? NOPE. Fish wants to hop up on land and decides that it's a really good idea to break the laws of physics and launches himself onto the shore. At this point I'm really wondering if maybe this is a macabre story about how making really poor decisions leads to a painful death as Fish lays on the ground barely able to breathe or move, when suddenly Frog hops over out of NOWHERE and throws Fish back into the water. Fish decides he'd rather be a fish, even though this was NEVER BROUGHT UP AS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT, and says "Fish is fish."

Yeah, that's the sentence that I really want a story for Language Impaired preschoolers to end on.

This story is pointless and does not make any sense at all. If you want a good children's story about fish, I recommend "The Rainbow Fish" or "Swim! Swim!" Stay away from this one, though.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a literature teacher, it's important to always remember that a student doesn't always have the background knowledge to fully understand concepts and in this case, frame of reference is extremely important. The book was recommended by my principal who is a former kindergarten teacher and I enjoyed it with my 10 year old.

[Esther Hallel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fish Is Fish is a picture book about childhood friends minnow and tadpole. The tadpole grows up to be a froggy and explores the wide world. Fish wants to experience land as well, and the frog rescues him back to water. Now fish realizes that he is not meant to be on land, he is a fish, and learns to appreciate the pond in a new way.

I liked the complexity of fish and froggy's friendship of their differences. Fish wanting to see the land and being brought back to the pond again is humorous, but beyond that it feels unclear what Lionni is trying to say with that as well as the book as a whole in general. I felt the ending to be somewhat abrupt and not really fully expressing what it is Fish learned about himself and the world, or how he changed. The conclusion feels tacked on somewhat.

I understand this is a children's book so it may be said I am being too particular. I would have liked for the story to have a more clear message and to really experience Fish's newfound love for water. I really enjoyed the artwork here and will be reading more of Lionni's work in the future.

3.75 ⭐

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you only look at this book as a prescriptive moral that teaches "know your place in this world and stick to it" then yes, you will give it one star. However, if you look at the bigger picture here, and see it as a fable that shows how we tend to look at the world through our own narrow understanding (see previous sentence all those of you who have been disapproving of this book, haha) then you will see that we don't always understand that there is so much more out there to understand. (Kids love the funny pictures that Fish imagines from what Frog describes, by the way.)

We can cause frustration for ourselves and others and pitch fits about things, or we can settle down and appreciate what we have, where we have it and realize that we may not understand everything in life and that can be okay in the long run. Fish is Fish after all. It's all a matter of perspective.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about the world outside of our own pond. It's a bit philosophical and speaks to being content with your own life. Our girls really enjoyed this story and we read it together a couple of times.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

My professor in my cultural diversity class read this to us in class. He used it to show us how we look at different cultures through the lenses of our own, which impacts how much we understand.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book! Loved the illustrations!

[Taylar Sizemore]

This book is a great book about a friendship between a frog and a fish. At the beginning of the book the frog was a tadpole and started to form into a frog. This fish did not understand why/how the tadpole turned into a frog so fast. The frog ended up going onto dry land and experienced the world outside of the pond. He cam back and told the fish all about it. The fish ended up trying to go on to land as well and it did not work out so well. This book would be great to use to teach the life cycle of a frog and to compare and contrast the differences between frogs and fish. OR you could use this book to teach morals, specifically in this book the moral would be: don't try to change who you are.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A minnow and a tadpole are the best for friends. But when the tadpole turns into a frog and goes up on dry land, it seems they will be separated for good. But the frog returns, telling the minnow (now a grown fish) all that he has seen. The fish envisions what the frog describes in a very different way. “the picture in the fish’s mind was full of lights and colors and marvelous things and he couldn’t sleep.” Wishing he could see the world for himself, the fish jumps out of the water but struggles to breathe. Luckily, the frog is there to get the fish back into the water in time.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fish is jealous of his friend, Frog, because Frog gets to go out into the big world.

[Sultan * Baby Mama Smut-a-teer* · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son kinda got bored with this story.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I despise fables that tell kids to be content with their sorry lot. Lionni is usually wonderful, but this is a major oops.

[Murat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh! It's hard to say anything about this book.

It depends on how you perceive the world! Fish is fish? or more than that?

I don't know. Sometimes fish is fish, sometimes it is not...

[JoJo Andrews]

i like it. I liked when i saw a frog. It made me think of my pet frog, Kermit. But the frog was ugly and my frog is cute.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

amo questo libro <3

[Emma Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cried. Why would you abandon your friends like this.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I feel like I should defend this book. If we aren't thinking too hard, or attempting to be charitable in any way, we might interpret the message of Fish is Fish to be "know your place." Not very uplifting for children, sure. Not exactly an attitude we want to impart on the impressionable. Of course not.
But here's the message I discuss with my students: learning about and experiencing worlds outside your own help you to appreciate the one you're coming from. That's not kid language. The kids can put it better than I can. When Fish returns to the pond he sees it in a new light. He appreciates his world and sees the beauty in it.
But Lionni makes a mistake. What sends the Fish back into the pond is fear of death. Lionni made the outside world threatening. He doesn't linger on Fish's new appreciation for the pond. The book ends abruptly. So the first thought that occurs to the adult reader is that the outside world is dangerous and we should all know our place. I'm arguing that this doesn't have to be the message, but it's hard to avoid. That's on Lionni.
If you read Swimmy, another Lionni story about a Fish with a passion for exploration, you'll find the main character in that book has much more success in his adventures. The difference is that Swimmy has a whole school of fish to help keep him safe. Fish is just Fish. And the only reason he survives is because Frog pushes him back into the water. Perhaps what we have here is an anxious author, a man who wants to see it all, but is terrified of having to do it alone.
When you write for kids, you're in the precarious position of having to put your message perfectly. Ambiguity is allowed in novels because we are not so protective of their readers. I think though, that a flawed book like Fish is Fish with an imperfect moral can be an excellent source of conversation with your students or your children.

[Amber Goebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this tale of a fish and a tadpole who start life together in a pond. When tadpole becomes a frog and moves onto a new life on land, fish is left alone until one day when the frog jumps in the pond for a visit. He tells fish all about life on land, about birds, cows, and people. But, fish imagines the birds, cows, and people in his own image because that is all he has ever known. He is overcome with thoughts about the world outside of his pond and finally decides to jump out and see it for himself. There's only one problem; "fish is fish" and cannot breathe out of the water. Frog comes to his rescue and helps his friend back into the water. I think this is a beautiful story that makes a statement about the way we view others and also about how we should embrace our individual strengths. Lionni's illustrations are vibrant and textured in appearance. I especially love the drawings of the birds as fish imagines them, fish bodies with large, feathered, colorful wings and legs with feet.

[Sarah A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am grateful to the person who bought this for us and there are beautiful illustrations. I appreciate the fish using his imagination to create fish-birds etc which was beautiful and fun to look at. Whilst reviewers seem to disagree over the author's intent, I am one of those who feel this book fails to be inspirational to children.
A fish is a fish. Moral - stay in your small world and make the most of it. Whilst this is true, children reading this level of book shouldn't be told that their small known world is enough for them. They should be told that they can think outside the box, they can explore, use their imagination but also venture out and the whole universe is open to them. The possibilities are endless, not contained within a small pond. I will be removing this book from my daughter's bookshelf unfortunately.

[Kate McGinty aka Caryn Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fish and Tadpole are best friends, but when Tadpole becomes a frog and goes to shore, Fish is left alone. Ever the faithful friend, the frog happily returns to regale Fish with stories all about life on land. The intrigued Fish is determined to go to shore, too. Unfortunately, it turns out fish simply aren't meant to be out of water. This reprint of the 1970 tale is formatted for young readers.

This is a lovely story of friendship and making the best of a situation. I particularly enjoyed the part where the frog described people, birds, and cows -- all of which fish pictured as being, well, fish-like. What a fantastic way to show how our personal perspective strongly affects how we see life.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could be used to introduce and practice imaging (visualizing) - the fish sees all the different creatures that the fog describes as fish with added features - discussion of how our view of the world is determined by what we know.
Classifying different types of animals - as LA skill (semantic mapping) to develop word meaning and as a science-related skill.
Also could be used to develop beginning number sense in pre-K, K students by counting the number of legs, wings, etc. of different animals. Connecting the number to concrete items is very beneficial in developing that beginning number sense.

[Cheri Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Life Skills teacher this book has come to mean so much to me and my students. The way the fish interprets frog’s adventures from his own schema is amazing as vividly portrayed in the illustrations. All of my students have very different schema from their peers. Their experiences with hospitals, the challenges their disabilities afford them, and the list goes on and on. I am amazed at what they do with the information I provided them in class. It’s is as beautiful as the fish’s imagination!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about the ocean that includes lots of beautiful illustrations. The illustrations show a lot of texture, so it could be used before an art lesson to teach textures. It would also be a great tool in a science lesson on the stages that frogs go through from tadpole to adult frog. This book could also be used to illustrate how all people are different, and those differences are what make you special.