Lakas and the Manilatown Fish/Si Lakas at ang Isdang Manilatown
Kindergarten-Grade 3-A Filipino boy has a dream about a fish that can talk and jump and play. The next morning, Lakas looks into a tank at the Happy Fish Market in Manilatown and is soon eye to eye with a talking fish. Just as the shop owner tries to catch him, the fish leaps out of the water, kisses the man, and runs away. Lakas, his father, and the Happy Fish man (who has fallen "dizzy in love") run after the creature. So begins a merry chase through the streets of San Francisco, with each of the fish's kisses adding another besotted character to the cast. The fun lasts all the way to the bay, where the fish pulls his pursuers from the water after they follow him in. The last page shows the boy and his new friend sharing a bath. The colorful, full-page illustrations accentuate the excitement and provide a focus for this lengthy tale. The book begins with an introduction for adults and ends with a brief history of Filipinos in San Francisco. The tale is told in Tagalog on the left page and English on the right, so events in the story aren't always exactly matched to those depicted in the art. This layout is confusing and makes the pages incredibly text heavy. Still, there are some fun moments, and libraries that serve Filipino communities will want this title.Tali Balas, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York CityCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.