Usually, I am not a Pout-Pout fish fan. However, I know that he is very popular and have recommended him to my customers many times. There is a certain charm about the books, but over all, it is lost on me. Yet, with Pout-Pout’s Halloween Faces by Deborah Diesen, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It is a fun and simple board book that I would have given to my nephews, cousins and other children I know as an anytime gift. The google-eyes are a blast and the story just flows along. The only fault? I would have liked it to be a tad longer!
Pout-Pout fish is trying on costumes for Halloween. The simple text and colorful illustrations make this a fun read-aloud for the toddler set: be they getting ready for the holiday or already know what they are going to be or if they are a bit “sugared up” shall we say. The cut-outs add another layer of mystery and whimsy. Dan Hanna has made his own story to accompany the text.
As previously mentioned, even though this is a Halloween book, it could be read anytime. Because in the end, it is just a story about Pout-Pout fish using their imagination and dressing up. Our little hero is just having fun becoming things such as a superhero, a mummy or a ghost. The smaller, sturdy format size does allow for the child to hold onto the book easily. It might make it a tad difficult to use in a large setting as it is perfect for snuggling up and one-on-one reading.