“Dear Fish” is a great children’s picture book written by Chris Gall and illustrated by the same, in a style that reminds me quite a bit of wood cuts.
Peter Alan and his family have been at the seashore all day, and are having a wonderful time. Peter Alan is playing down by the water, wondering what kinds of creatures might live in the ocean.
He has an idea, and writes a note to the fish, inviting them to come for a visit at his house, including the most tempting detail – his mom makes good pies. He puts the note in a bottle and throws it into the sea before heading home with his family.
The next morning, people in the neighborhood start to notice something strange, from Mr. Adams next door, to Sally’s house down the street, all the way down to the ballpark. There were fish everywhere, even in the hot dog buns!
Cole Trenton, toughest rodeo rider in town, ends up getting bucked off the back of a shark, and Peter Alan’s dad mistakes a fish with a saw nose for his actual saw. His mom is at the beauty parlor and pulls on a shower cap, only to find that she’s put an octopus on her head instead!
Peter Alan realizes that inviting the fish to come see him probably wasn’t a good idea. He writes another note to the fish, telling them that their mother is calling them, and he shows it to the fish in his bathroom. Slowly the fish begin to leave town, and after a while, Peter Alan is allowed to have some goldfish in his room, but he’s forbidden to speak to them or to attempt to communicate in any way at all.
The next summer, when Peter Alan and his family return to the beach, they find a note there, addressed “Dear Humans.” They go underwater to visit the fish, their Jeep and all.
(This book was published in 2006 by Little, Brown.)
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