Crossing the Current: Ready-to-Read Level 1

by Jane Yolen, Mike Moran (Illustrations)

From critically acclaimed and prolific author Jane Yolen comes a vibrant Level 1 Ready-to-Ready story about a fish becoming an assistant crossing guard!

A fish has an exciting new responsibility when he becomes the assistant crossing guard at his school!

We hold up signs. We help fish cross.
We save a minnow who was lost.

Will he rise to the occasion of keeping his classmates safe?

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2020

About the author

Jane Yolen was a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who wrote more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lived in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is]

My toddler woke me up early today.. there's nothing to do so I read to her. This story follows a fish going to school and help another fish cross "the street" to the bus stop because that fish almost got ran over.. for looking left but not right.. after that the principal at the school gave him a medal to have him become the crossing guard to help other fishes cross "the street" everyday at school.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

I love the count to ten, breathe and relax technique that Jane Yolen teaches through this School of Fish Series. I love how in this book Silver thinks he's not going to like something, thinks that something is going to be too hard, and finds that it's not.

[Pinky]

Silver becomes a school crossing guard and helps fish get to school safely.

[Miss Sarah]

A young fish helps a crab on the school bus and wins an award he doesn't think he deserves. Preschool and up

[Mountain Lover]

more of a social/emotional book, good for teaching young children how to calm and manage stress/anxiety/anger etc. normalizes emotions via fish.

[Library To-Go]

05/28/25 Play & Learn and Pediatrust -ES
09/23/26 Little Magnolias & Pediatrust -ES