Poor Doreen

December 23, 2013
An "Ample Roundy Fish" named Miss Doreen Randolph-Potts stars in this testament to the power of positive thinking (or dumb luck). On her way to visit a "second cousin twice removed who's just had 157 babies," the babushka-wearing, umbrella-toting Doreen is hooked by a fisherman, snatched up by a heron, and dropped in a potentially fatal plummet. But Doreen only sees the upsides: "What a remarkable swimmer I am!" she says as she's pulled to the surface on the fishhook. Not so for Lloyd-Jones's (Just Because You're Mine) tut-tutting narrator, who is quick to point out to Doreen that "The one thing you're not is lucky. This may be the most awful day of your life. Worseâit may be your... last." Is the narrator meant to be snarky, ironic, or genuinely concerned? It isn't always clear. There's no ambivalence, however, in Boiger's (the Tallulah books) waterfront scenes, with their pretty, gossamer washes of blues and greens and relatable, comically drawn characters. The images leave no doubt that Doreen will end up right where she's supposed to be. Ages 4â8. Illustrator's agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt.

October 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Doreen, a fish with bad luck and an optimistic temperament, is on the way to visit her cousin. When Doreen spies a delicious dragonfly, she snaps it up, not realizing it's a lure and that she's just been caught by a fisherman. One potentially catastrophic event after another happens to her, but with her serene attitude, she sees nothing but good: being put in the fisherman's pail is a chance for her to rest, and after being snapped up by a great blue heron, Doreen thanks him for accompanying her on her trip. A wary narrator relays the story of the fish's perilous journey to see her relative and is the voice of reason, and doom, alongside Doreen's obliviousness. Repetition of phrases, and the humorous and cautionary asides make this perfect for reading aloud. Delightful illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil show a smiling small blue and pink polka-dotted fish wearing a red babushka and sporting a red umbrella. A charming tale with an endearing-and enduring-heroine.-Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2014
A clueless fish owes her escape from a fisherman and a great blue heron to sheer dumb luck in this "fishy tale." A little round fish in a kerchief, Miss Doreen Randolph-Potts wends her way upstream to visit her cousin when she spies a dragonfly "darting, / dancing deliciously above her." Thinking she's found a "lovely snack," Doreen unknowingly swallows the fisherman's lure as he rapidly reels her in and tosses her into his bucket. Gleefully assuming she's on an "outing," Doreen's equally oblivious when the heron snaps her up and flies off. Thanking the heron for escorting her on her journey, Doreen asks if he's an egret, prompting him to open his beak to correct her. Suddenly "plunging and plummeting" through the air, unflappable Doreen's thrilled to be "FLYING" and eventually falls back into the stream and swims on, unaware of her close calls. Laced with panicky warnings from the narrator alerting Doreen to her impending mortal danger, the alliterative text tracks her perilous journey in humorous detail while its typographic placement visually follows her up, down and across double-page spreads. Rendered in pencil, watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, the fluid illustrations effectively rely on light and arresting perspectives to highlight Doreen's precarious situations. Ignorance equals bliss in this amusing, cleverly executed tale. (Picture book. 4-7)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.