Review by Horn Book Review
The young girl who narrates this funny, affecting, and sensitive picture book adores her new goldfish, Frank. She observes his behavior closely (and decides his favorite color is pink), plays games with him, writes him a lullaby, dresses up like him for Halloween, and makes him a Valentine's Day card. "Fish friends forever!" Then, after almost a year (the text takes us through the calendar with dates on every spread), Frank sickens and dies. The girl is inconsolable -- and angry. She discovers things that make her feel better: planning a funeral for Frank, wearing a locket containing his photo, journaling. A few months later, Mama brings home another fish. "She said it might be time for a new friend." Our narrator is not ready for that, but when she realizes that this fish's tail is pink, it opens the door to a new friendship, with its own games and rituals. "I love her...and I bet Frank would too." The child-appealing, aptly watery art -- made with "a combination of traditional materials and digital finessing" -- imbues even the fish with personality and captures the girl's varying emotions through highly readable facial expressions and body language. The narrator's journey through grief is authentic and age-appropriate; her eventual ability to accept and love new fish Fern but bring Frank with her in that acceptance is a healthy and useful model. Martha V. ParravanoSeptember/October 2025 p.40 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A new pet prompts complex emotions. An unnamed pale-skinned child is obsessed with Frank, a green-scaled, rosy-cheeked fish. The youngster documents their relationship in a diary, recording everything from Halloween ("I dressed up as Frank…Frank dressed up as me. Fish friends forever!") to Valentine's Day ("We all made cards for Franky. He blushed"). A poignant entry on February 25 notes that today Frank refused to come out of the shell in his tank; eventually, he dies. The child is devastated; bouts of door-slamming anger ensue (the protagonist dutifully apologies), followed by moments of deep grief, beautifully shown in a mournful double-page spread depicting Frank's funeral. After some time, the child receives a new pet, a pink fish named Fern, much to the little one's chagrin. After some initial disappointment that Fern doesn't play exactly like Frank, the child becomes open to the possibility of forging new bonds while respecting Frank's memory. This tender, earnest look at the beautiful connection between pet and child is deeply authentic, showcasing intense emotions, effectively expressed by Betawi's quirky artwork, which has an intimate, childlike feel that pairs well with the journal format. Ferguson's earnest epistolary text, by turns bubbly and raw with sorrow, captures the youngster's deep emotions with empathy and understanding. A loving look at being thankful for the time we have with others--however fleeting.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
