Ugly Fish (review)

Tired of cuddly picture-book protagonists? Meet Ugly Fish, who is "ugly. And BIG. And mean." Happy in his little fishdom, he takes poorly to newcomers: Teensy Fish, Kissy Fish, and the duo of Stripy Fish and Spotty Fish are added to his tank in turn, and each time Ugly Fish pursues the newcomer around the tank and gobbles him up. As loneliness sets in, Ugly Fish begins to regret his hasty consumption and wish for a playmate, so he's happy when the huge Shiny Fish arrives; unfortunately, Shiny Fish isn't quite as evolved as the kinder, gentler Ugly Fish, so the old game of chase-and-chomp is resumed—and this time, Ugly Fish is dinner. While tender-hearted young story audiences may cringe at the demise of cute little talking fish, more cynical audiences (and young readers) will snicker at the book's irreverent—and biologically truthful—take on sharing. The wryly comedic tone (the bored Ugly Fish finds that "the special briny flakes no longer tasted very special") adds bite, and there's even some genuine suspense about the book's conclusion, since audiences will wonder if Ugly Fish's new attitude has earned him the right to triumph despite his former misdeeds. Digital washes of color overlay the line illustrations, in which Ugly Fish lives up to his name: a big square presence in bilious olive with baleful orange eyes and a jutting toothed jaw, he should be enough to deter any overtures of friendship from foolish newcomers. Deceptively simple compositions make clever use of changing perspectives, with compositions varying from white-space-dependent vignettes to double-page spreads of fishy doom. Serve this up with other sardonic tales of marine life such as Raschka's Arlene Sardine (BCCB 9/98) or Willis' Tadpole's Promise (BCCB 7/05).