Hooray For Fish!

by Lucy Cousins

Splosh, splash, splish, Hooray for fish! Swim with Little Fish and meet all his fishy friends in this splishy-sploshy riot of colour and rhyme under the sea. A piscatorial picture-book delight from award-winning artist Lucy Cousins. Fish-themed point-of-sale, including mobiles to create your own in-store aquarium! A hilarious, rollicking rhyme of an undersea voyage in Lucy Cousins' unique bright and bold style.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Counting, Kids

32 pages, Unknown Binding

First published May 10, 2005

About the author

Lucy Cousins, BA Honours in Graphic Design from The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Brighton Polytechnic, postgraduate degree from Royal College of Art, is an author-illustrator of children's books. She is best known for her books featuring Maisy Mouse but she has also published other children's books including one about Noah's Ark. She is a mother of four and lives in Hampshire, England. Her own children are the inspiration for her books whose age range is 2-8.

Reviews

[Trelawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was great fun. A little fish introduces to all his fish friends; elefish and sky fish and fat fish and shy fish and on and on. It's great for counting and doing colours and shapes. Will most likely get a reread in the near future.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who can resist the art of Lucy Cousins? No one, that's who. Hooray for Fish! is a great preschool readaloud, with its bright and fun illustrations and simple text. It was definitely too young for the K-3 crowd I was reading to, but the younger siblings loved it and I got the older kids more engaged by having them point to the different types of fish that were named.

Ages 2-4

[Cloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby loved this book, SO MUCH. The sounds were fun, it was repetitive enough to keep the theme fresh each page. The artwork was free and bright and fun. Her favorite was the "Hello, Twin Fin-Fin Fish!" and counting how many fish were on each page. Would probably check this out again in the future.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooray for Fish! Is a fun story about lots of different types of fish. Although it is not a direct theme of the book, the story could be used to promote discussions about inclusion and differences. This was one of my favourite books when I was little and I would use this with FS or year 1 children. The illustrations are bright and colourful and have the effect of a child’s painting which is likely to be enjoyed by younger children.

[Deb in UT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, brightly colored book. Alena was really looking at the pictures of the different fish. It's simple, cute, and good.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hooray For Fish," by Lucy Cousins, is a great book to read aloud to children. It is about a little fish who introduces all his other fish friends in the sea. Throughout the book, there are many different types of fish including some with clouds and some with spots. Since the book is a rhyming book it has a great flow to read aloud. Also, it is catchy and easy to read which could cause children to want to read it on there own after hearing it read aloud. I would definitely have this book in my early elementary aged classroom because I think it is very beneficial. Children will love having it read to them while they can look at the bright and vibrant colors in the pictures. Also, there is one page that asks how many fish you can see which makes it an interactive book. I will keep this book in mind as a future teacher for many reasons. The smooth writing, the fun illustrations, and the simplicity of the story in general will always make this story a great one to read aloud.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary (CIP): Swim along with Little Fish and meet all his fishy friends in a splishy, splashy riot of color and rhyme under the sea.

REVIEW: This cheerful and imaginative oversized boardbook with concepts and controlled vocabulary hits a little of everything: rhymes, opposites, a few numbers, colors, and patterns galore. Did you ever see fish with hearts, stars, or clouds on them? Or a peacock fish? You’ll see it all in this fun book that ends with a reunion with momma fish and ‘kiss, kiss, kiss’. This would be great for fishy or ocean storytimes.

SLJ: Positive.

Booklist: Positive. "Cousins isn't trying anything new here, but her proven formula of basic, enthusiastic text and bright artwork will please her fans, who will likely shout, "Hooray for fish!" right along with the text."

[Nashiea Edmiston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful choice for an early elementary fish/underwater unit. The design of this book is visually appealing for young children; big, bright, colorful pages with an effect that looks like everything has been colored in with finger paint but in a very methodical fashion, including the text. I loved all the adjectives in this book, such an easy way to introduce young children to words like; thin, gripy, shy, and curly. The end was a surprise and I loved it just as much as my 4-year old but I'm a bit biased!

[Emylly · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I hated this book. I called it a knock off version of "Red Fish, Blue Fish." But as it became my niece's favorite book, I have now read it several times and it has grown on me. There is ample time to develop difference voices to contrast the different fish named. I don't like that some fish are "fat and thin." Could we not have used "big and small?" I don't want my niece to now say hello to "fat and thin" people, but it is colorful and a quick read- perfect for a one-year-old

[Ambrosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is pretty clearly aimed at younger kids, but unlike many such books, it's genuinely fun to read aloud. The meter does change in places, but not unpredictably so; the pages are sturdy, and the illustrations are simple and bright-colored and adorable. (As my husband commented, "It looks like a tasty book to chew on.") Plus, biodiversity!

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

My son LOVES this book

[Laurice Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story Little Fish takes you along to meet all his friends. Little Fish friends are all different, colors, shapes, appearances, sizes and there are some friends that are the same. But Little Fish favorite fish is introduced in the end of the story, can you guess who this special fish could be?
-The book is fairly large but the inside makes up for that because the illustrations are just amazing. The double page spread really captures all the different fishes and the medium with the vibrant colors with the black borders help separate all the different fishes. And the Montage of fishes was an excellent over view of what fishes were mentioned as Little Fish friends. The typography looks handwritten and not a computer font, which gives it a more friendly feeling. The size of the typography is on the large side but it very easy to read. This is great for children, who are familiar with and still learning about opposites, numbers, similarities, sizes differentiation. Using rhyming words the usage of the fish throughout the story helps young children with early literacy. I enjoyed reading this book to my own children, who got a laugh out of the twin fishes.

[Vivien Hillier]

This book has beautiful representational pictures of fish in bright primary colours that very young children would find attractive. I liked the simple rhyme scheme which was amusing and rhythmic. The underlying theme of friendship between all the different varieties of fish in the sea could be explored further - the idea that even if the fish didn't look the same, they could still be friends. The final page where the fish kisses his mother is something that most small children will be able to identify with. I can imagine reading this book and looking at the pictures with my grandson

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splosh, splash, splish, Hooray for fish! Swim with Little Fish and meet all his fishy friends in this splishy-sploshy riot of colour and rhyme under the sea. A piscatorial picture-book delight from award-winning artist Lucy Cousins. Fish-themed point-of-sale, including mobiles to create your own in-store aquarium! A hilarious, rollicking rhyme of an undersea voyage in Lucy Cousins' unique bright and bold style.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The children in my toddler group enjoyed this book!
I personally wasn't so keen on it!
Teaches children about different patterns, sizes and colours, so on an educational point of view is very good.
Bright colourful pictures, although at times found them to be a bit overcrowded making it tricky for the children to differentiate between the different patterns e.t.c

Think It would have been a bit better if there was more of a story to it.

[B.C. Spines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for a preschool storytime about fish. It's excellent. The drawings are bold and fun, the words are simple and can be interactive. I loved when I got to the page where there's red, yellow, and blue fish and the kids shouted the colors with me. There's a nice page in the middle that asks how many fish we can count, and it goes up to 21. It also has opposites and rhyming. Really, a home run of a book for preschoolers.

[Libby Haydon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Ive just read this book for the first time and loved it! My 8 year old son loved it too!
Fantastic rhythm, ryhme and repetition. The illustrations are very eye catching and it really is the sort of book an EY child would engage with. It talks about different types of fish and how great they all are but the best one at the end is Mum. Lovely book to examine diversity.

[Olivia Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part about this book was illustrations. It was colorful and a good read for really young kids. As far as older kids go, I wouldn't recommend it. It seemed too similar to Dr. Seuss's One fish, two fish book. It also talked about loving the mom fish the most but for a kid without a mom, it could be upsetting.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple concept rendered engaging with charming artwork. I liked how it goes from reasonably simple concepts (like red fish, blue fish) through to sneaking in silly fish like ele-fish and sky-fish. The big mixed drawings also make it easy to play games like 'can you spot...' or 'what fish do you like best', 'what fish would you eat for dinner?'

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

preschool/toddler picture book

large colorful pictures to draw the child's eye in, with whimsical and interesting vocabulary contained in the rhymes: "stripey fish.. gripey fish.... eye fish, shy fish, fly fish, sky fish."

this is a bit long for my baby/toddler groups but would work well one-on-one or with older toddler/preschoolers.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to read to very young children: nice, bright colorful illustrations, a little bit of counting for them to participate in, some humor, and a sweet ending with the mama and baby fish (sorry for the spoiler!). The book is neither factual nor plot-driven, it is just a fun, colorful book.

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous illustrations and great word choice make for a simple and fun read aloud. This book can be easily shortened if needed.

I may like this Lucy Cousins' book the best.

Focus/Lesson Ideas: Narrative Skills/Descriptive Words, Word Choice
Storytime Audience: Family, Toddler/Preschooler, Lower Elementary School
Pair with Pout Pout Fish by Diesen

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My four month old listened and stared at the pictures in this one with rapt attention....probably the most attentive she's been yet. It's easy to see why, with very large colorful pictures, and almost no words. There is no story, just pictures of fish. But nevertheless a quick read and lots to look at.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Counting, colors, shapes with a cute little fish as the escort. I like to include more introductory books in our reading selections for my 3 year old. We all really enjoyed this book. Both my kids liked counting the fish and identifying the different types of shapes and colors used in the illustrations. Great book.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bright and vibrant picture book that young preschool readers would enjoy. It explores all the different types of fish in the sea which would help promote discussion with young children. The story could perhaps be told with actions which would make it an ideal story for children to be able to verbally recite.

[Feralucce Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about made up types of fish. The colors are vibrant and hold the 14 month old's attention, but I find them eye jangling. The rhyme and meter are clumsy, making it a bit difficult to read and even after reading it repeatedly, I find myself reading it in a stilted manner. Saving grace is at the end. The last couple pages allow for special parent/child bonding.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming text names different kinds of fish (not all real) by colors, patterns, and numbers. I was actually pretty disappointed, having liked Hooray for Birds so much. This title has no interactive element like that one does, and features imaginary fish like an "ele-fish" who features a trunk and tusks. Hooray for Birds just seemed so much better!

[Ashlin Edmisten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Cousins books always have delightful illustrations that fascinate young readers. This book is no exception. With embedded counting, identification, and rhyming this book builds literacy and math skills while staying fun and exciting. I highly recommend this for young preschoolers.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to paint after reading this book. It would be so fun to let students create their own fish after seeing this. It was somewhat reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. It's amazing how vibrant picture book colors can be with advanced printing processes not available years ago.

[Kady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books Emmy will sit still for all the way through every single time. There is a lot to describe, the colors are vibrant, and the mom fish is the best fish, so you know, some good ego-boosting at the end as well. Sorry dads.