Our little girl has asked for a fish. And what did she get? A fish! Trouble is, ‘as much as you wish, you can’t pat a fish.’

But you can preen a parrot, or run with a dog! You can even hide from a chicken, or even dress up a pig. But you can’t pat a fish!

Our little girl shows us all the different things you could do with all sorts of different pets. But you still can’t hug a fish! As she says, ‘if it’s wet it’s not a pet!’

She looks at the fish in her bowl and wishes it away. All the while the fish’s googly eyes look back at her with happy enthusiasm …

Until … one day … the fish blew bubbles and even made funny faces.

I will not laugh, so don’t even start! Oh look! My fish just did a fart!

This a terrific book to read aloud with its lilting rhyming text and illustrations that bring on a giggle. It’s a fun book that reminds us that sometimes you might not get what you wish for, but what you do get can be just as special.

Reviewed by Jane Stephens

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Let me tell you a little about myself. I live on a small farm and work from a straw-bale studio in the middle of a big paddock (or field, if you aren’t a Kiwi) just outside Wellington, New Zealand.

I love to talk to schools and I’m happy to be contacted by students – although sometimes it can take a little time to reply.