Book Review of A Fish Called Andromeda
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The Children’s Book Review
A Fish Called Andromeda
Written by Cynthia C. Huijgens
Illustrated by Yusuke Watanabe
Ages 4-8 | 42 Pages
Publisher: Idle Time Press | ISBN-13: 9781737262930
What to Expect: Friendship, creativity, pets, constellations, hope
At heart, A Fish Called Andromeda is a story about finding wonder and joy in any situation, even in times of disappointment.
A pet fish is what Zuki wants more than anything else in the world. Zuki’s mother tells her they cannot afford another mouth to feed, but Zuki doesn’t let that stop her. With paper, string, and glitter glue, she makes a magical fish and takes it out to fly around the swings near her home. When the string breaks and the fish flies away, Zuki is heartbroken. She waits all day but sees no sign of her fish returning home.
Luckily, Mr. Humphries can see further than Zuki because he has a telescope that lets him see all the way into the stars. Together, they search and find Zuki’s fish swimming her way through constellations. They name her Andromeda, and Zuki goes home happy to dream of her fish swimming through the night sky.
With her desperate longing for something she can’t have, Zuki is a relatable character for young readers, who are sure to empathize with her disappointment and learn from her determination, creativity, and willingness to feel hope. Yusuke’s colorful, whimsical watercolor illustrations add to the magic of the story, bringing Andromeda and her fellow constellations to life to dance across a profoundly deep blue sky.
A Fish Called Andromeda is inspirational and dreamy—perfect for bedtime or classroom reading.
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About the Author
Cynthia C. Huijgens worked for many years as a museum educator and earned her MEd Art from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She uses the tagline ‘art educator exploring write ideas’. Previous publications include the whimsical children’s picture book POLAR BEAR AND THE UFO, illustrated by Anne Costa, and a middle grade time-jumping series called BOY BETWEEN WORLDS.
For more information, visit https://cchuijgens.com.
About the Illustrator
Yusuke Watanabe makes his children’s picture book debut with A FISH CALLED ANDROMEDA. Originally from Japan, Yusuke is a recent graduate of CalArts in Los Angeles, California. In addition to illustrating, Yusuke works as a visual development artist for animation.
For more information, visit https://yusukewatanabe.com/.
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