As part of the Virtual Book Club for Kids, my co-hosts and I share activity ideas for preschoolers to help extend beloved books. While reading aloud is absolutely enough, kids often enjoy crafts and learning activities based on their favorite books. Below are some ideas if you want to extend some of your favorite ocean read alouds. Diesen lives in Grand Ledge, Michigan. [3] In addition to a writer, she is the financial manager for a nonprofit. [4] Bibliography [ edit ] The Pout-Pout Fish [ edit ] What does the Pout-Pout fish do after the Silver fish kisses him? Why might that make him feel better? Do you think the Silver fish should have asked the Pout-Pout fish before they kissed?

DuMouchel, Leah (May 5, 2010). "Deborah Diesen and 'The Pout-Pout Fish' spread cheery-cheeries to the Ann Arbor District Library". AnnArbor.com . Retrieved February 24, 2015.This fun fishing activity is a great way to develop hand and eye coordination while learning about letters, all while enjoying an immersive sensory experience. This easy, low-prep activity challenges your preschooler to place the correct number of fish in the bowl. It can be converted into a matching game and is a wonderful way to reinforce number recognition and counting skills. Have you read any books about Pout-Pout Fish before? If so, tell me some things you already know about Pout-Pout Fish. If this is your first time reading a Pout-Pout Fish book, we can use his name to learn a little bit about him. Pout means to push your lips out, like Pout-Pout Fish is doing on the cover. Let’s all give it a try! Why might you pout like Pout-Pout Fish? How do you think he feels about going to school? We’re going to read to find out why Pout-Pout Fish is worried about going to school. We’ll also find out what changes his mind and makes him smile.

This book encompasses anxiety in children who experience doubt and fear in their abilities and the pessimism that comes with it. This is amplified in the school environment where there is usually an emphasis on grades and performance, thus Mr. Fish's troubled mantras of self-deprecation. But through support and positive reinforcement from teachers and/or adult figures, it can drastically change the views of how children, and in this case fish, perceive themselves. I think this book is pure genius. It is suspenseful and funny and so well illustrated. It is the first in a series of 3 books and still my favorite. For today’s purposes take the time as you read to pause and discuss with your listeners how the two main characters are feeling at different points in the book. For example, when the big fish discovers his hat missing you could ask “How do you think the big fish feels right now?” and maybe follow that up with “What do you think would make him feel better?” This is an excellent way for preschoolers to expand their sensory skills without making a big mess. They are sure to enjoy exploring all the diverse textures and colors while developing awareness of their own names.

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After being kissed by the Silver fish, the Pout-Pout fish’s purpose seems to be making other fish feel better. Is this purpose meaningful, or is it pointless? Mr. Fish lives with a constant pout on his face. He always seems to be sad and frowning. Octopi, clams, and other various sea critters all tell him to smile a little and be happy, but the Pout-Pout fish claims that this is just the way he is. Then, all of a sudden, his frown is turned upside-down after he is kissed by a shimmering silver fish. After he is kissed, the Pout-Pout fish becomes the Kiss-Kiss fish, giving all of his sea friends kisses and making everyone as happy as he is. Enjoy all the fun of fingerprinting without any of the cleanups. This hands-on learning activity is a great way to practice number recognition skills. This book is about a fish who goes to school for the first time. Pout-Pout fish tries a lot of different subjects. He tries spelling, shapes, and math and still can't figure it out. He eventually decided to quit school. As he is leaving school has stopped by HIS teacher. The teacher encourages him and helps the fish succeeded.

In addition to Mr. Fish’s sadness, the other fish don’t understand his emotions and exclude him because of this. The jellyfish, squid, and octopus all complain that Mr. Fish mopes too much. Is it okay for the sea creatures to expect Mr. Fish to be happy when he is not? Is it okay for Mr. Fish to not feel happy? These types of questions delve further into the role of well-being and happiness in personal relationships. For Mr. Fish, the sea creatures attempt to prevent, correct, or mitigate his sadness and assume it is a generally undesirable trait to be sad. However, this approach isolates Mr. Fish, which presumably furthers his sadness. What would be a better path of action for the sea creatures to take? How can the sea creatures take better care of their friend? These questions can be used to open up a discussion regarding personal relationships hindered by the challenges facing a friend. Purpose and Meaningfulness This heart-shaped fish craft is a fun way to talk about the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy with young learners. Pippa and Percival, Pancake and Poppy: Four Peppy Puppies, illustrated by Grace Zong, Sleeping Bear Press, 2018 Pout-Pout Fish books are adorable, but this one is not. I had so much anxiety for Mr. Fish as he was lost at school on his first day, trying classroom after classroom, but he was always in the wrong place. If you want to give your child anxiety about all the ways the first day of school can go wrong, read this to them. Also, this doesn’t work as a board book because it has a lot of text and Mr. Fish’s school setting seems more like a middle school not a preschool. The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School" is one book out of a series about Mr. Fish, the main character who is referred to outside of the book as the "Pout-Pout Fish" in question. The story tells about Mr. Fish's first time going to school when he was young and his doubts of learning and being able to keep up with the rest of the fish in the school. He gets reassurance, though, that things will be okay and there is time for him to learn.This simple recycled craft produces some glimmering results. Kids can let their imagination run wild and have a blast creating their own fish scale patterns. As a reader, I first read this book because a little boy I babysit asked me if I would read a new book he got to him. As I was reading this book, I realized how I also found myself interested and learning a lesson through it. This book was a easy but fun read. I really enjoyed it so much I went and bought the book for myself!

This classic read-aloud can be paired with a reader's response discussion to connect the themes of sharing, kindness, and empathy to children's daily lives. Why do the other sea creatures want the pout pout fish to be happy? Is it okay for them to want this? How do you think this makes Mr. Fish feel? Deborah Diesen’s book The Pout Pout Fish is about a glum fish that always has a pout on his face. Mr. Fish thinks that because he always has a pout on his face, he is meant to spread the “dreary-wearies” wherever he goes. Throughout the book, different sea creatures approach Mr. Fish and try to get him to stop pouting. They suggest he try smiling, turn his frown upside down, and ask not to be greeted with a scowl. Mr. Fish explains that he wishes he could change, but he can’t. He is a pout-pout fish and it’s not up to him. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Deisen is a wonderful book that helps to begin age appropriate conversations with children about emotions and feelings. The Pout-Pout Fish is a story about Mr. Fish who has a perpetual frown on his face. He always feels sad much to the concern of his friends in the ocean. His friends try to give him advice and want him to smile and be cheerful, but Mr. Fish is convinced that this is just the way he is. That is until one little fish gives him a kiss and changes his whole outlook on things. The Pout-Pout Fish becomes the Kiss-Kiss Fish and sets about making his friends as happy as he is. Clutter-Free Classroom is the place where elementary teachers get the time-saving tips, ideas and resources they need to make teaching easier and more enjoyable.Mr. Fish is headed off to his first day of school and is excited, but when he gets there he is lost. As Mr. Fish tries to find the correct classroom, he gets more and more discouraged. Just as he is about to quit school, his teacher finds him and shows him that he is going to fit right in.