Goldfish Hide-And-Seek
Pres-K?Two big-eyed cartoon fish decide to play hide-and-seek. Heidi hides, the other almost identical but unnamed fish searches for her behind a rock and in some seaweed. Two turtles playing checkers claim they haven't seen Heidi, and an artistic octopus only has eyes for his own canvas. On a cluttered two-page spread filled with multiple images, the seeking fish looks for its friend in everything from a desk drawer to a piano. The fish then jumps out of the bowl to look further, encounters a cat, and encourages him to dance with it. While spinning and twirling, the fish flies through the air and lands back in the bowl where Heidi is waiting. While a simple text can be admirable in a picture book, this one just seems abrupt and the whole story sinks. The fun of reading about hide-and-seek is the chance to participate vicariously in the game. Here, neither the pictures nor the brief text encourage this participation. Marisabina Russo's Where Is Ben? (Greenwillow, 1990), Arlene Dubanevich's Pigs in Hiding (Scholastic, 1989), and, of course, Eric Hill's Where's Spot (Putnam, 1980) are all more engaging choices.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KYCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.