Review of Phone Call with a Fish by Silvia Vecchini

Authors

Cory L. Brookins, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

City

Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States of America

Date of Publication

2018

ISBN

9780802855107

Date of Review

2019

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews

Review

An observant young girl in school is quite curious about why her classmate, a little boy, doesn’t speak. She hears that at home he talks, but at school he remains silent, even when asked a question. She looks for ways to connect to him and they all work, but he still doesn’t speak. Then one day, they go to a science museum, and she sees a fish tank with a telephone hooked to it. She finds the boy, and they listen to the various sounds the fish make as they communicate with each other. This shared experience bonds them well, until the book ends with the boy calling the girl on the phone.

This book is wonderful to show children how to approach people who are different. The rest of the class seems to view the boy as odd, but the little girl is kind and patient. The illustrations and story work together in their simplicity to present a calm tone that emphasizes the theme and moral behind the story. This book does well in reminding children to be open minded about people who communicate differently than they might, and reminding us all that everyone deserves kindness. Highly recommend. Cory Brookins, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Brookins, Cory L., "Review of Phone Call with a Fish by Silvia Vecchini" (2019). Library Intern Book Reviews. 265.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/265

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