Tiddler: The Story Telling Fish by Julia Donaldson

Rating: 3 out of 5 - my sons rating (I am sure) 
Rating: 2 out of 5 - my rating
Reading level: Ages 5 and up
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Alison Green Books; 1 edition (1 Sep 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140710621X
ISBN-13: 978-1407106212

Tiddler: The story telling fish, is the story of Tiddler a little fish with a talent for being late and telling stories. Then one day his daydreaming gets him lost and sets him on the path to a real adventure. But will anyone believe him and will he find his way home?

It is easy to draw an instant parallel to the story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" but this book never has that moral punch line "of don't tell lies/stories or people wont believe you". One of my biggest quibbles with this book is the ending and the fact the story doesn't really go anywhere. It could have made the point of how telling stories can get you into trouble or to dream big and your dreams can come true, but it does neither and the ending it does have doesn't seem to fit with the story at all. Maybe I missed something?

My other problem with this book is for me as a reader I found the flow to be difficult. There was rhyming and repetition but it wasn't consistent and I just could not work up a good rhythm when reading this book out loud. I read another review at We Read Like This where the reviewer said it took her awhile to work out a rhythm and reads it like a gentle rap. But I have still yet to find a way yet to read it that flows nicely.

We purchased this book pretty much for the illustrations (it was my son's choice). They are bright and vibrant and the undersea theme really captured my little ones attention. I do like the illustrations even though a couple of scenes might be a little scary for some kids (when Tiddler is lost there are some deep sea fish drawn which my upset some little ones) My little guy loves this book more for the pictures then anything else.

However this book gets good reviews all over the net so maybe I need to give it more time. I hope I will be able to develop a way to read it so I enjoy it too, as my little one does love the illustrations so much. I have given two reviews as my son loves this book but I am not a fan.

Book Brief

• Rhyming 
• Repetition 
• Story Telling
• Animals