This breathtakingly beautiful picture book chronicles the adventures of a mountain girl and a fish. The unlikely pairing is made all the more poignant by Girl’s urgent quest to find the right habitat and environment for Fish to survive and thrive within. Girl is riding her bike in the mountains when Fish literally falls off the back of a truck! Girl quickly realises that Fish needs salt water to survive, but she cannot cry an ocean of tears for her new friend.
What on earth will happen – and will she be able to help Fish?
Questions abound and are answered in turn through the pages of the book, but at its heart this is a story of looking after others. It explores through a stunningly simple and articulate narrative, that what we want to give is not always what someone else needs to receive.
I cannot emphasise enough how special this book is. It’s subtle and clear and beautiful.
The illustrations by author/illustrator Dr Carolina Parada are simply divine. Charming, endearing, soft and strong at the same time, they celebrate difference and uniqueness without even trying. Shapes and layering, texture and line work with a gentle colour palette which is both immersive and evocative.
An open-hearted and compassionate invitation into the challenges of friendship, Girl And Fish embodies what it is to love unconditionally, without ever mentioning those two words.
Truly stunning.
Title: Girl And Fish
Author/Illustrator: Carolina Parada
Publisher: Red Paper Kite, $28.50
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780648502678
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book