Donald and the Fish That Walked

by Edward R. Ricciuti

Donald learns something about the delicate balance of nature when he sees walking catfish all over his South Florida neighborhood

62 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Truth is stranger than fiction. The story is so good that it makes up for the weak illustrator choice of Syd Hoff - everything he does ends up the same: goofy, which is fine for silly stories.

[Matthew]

I enjoyed this book, so I'm surprised it doesn't have as high of a rating. It's about a boy who sees a fish walking on land and how nobody believes him. Come to find out that there is such a thing and it delves into science and I enjoyed it, especially because it had Syd Hoff illustrations. I went through a Syd Hoff phase and still appreciate his drawings. This is the first I can read book that I've come across that dealt with science and real facts mixed into a fictional story. In the back, it recounts the actual event that inspired this book. My rating - 4/5

[Katie Fitzgerald]

What an odd little book! For most of the story (probably because of Syd Hoff's illustration style), I thought the fish named in the title was an entirely fictitious and fantastical creation. The author's note reveals the story's roots in reality, however, which came as a total surprise to me. I like the text more now that I know it's based on real events, but the illustrations don't really do a lot to make the story feel real.

[Kali]

Surprisingly educational (and real) for a quirky-sounding picture book! With Syd Hoff as the illustrator, I was expecting this to be more of a silly farce than a serious book about invasive animal species aimed at young kids. But then, Hoff did illustrate (and write!) several non-fiction books.