Author/Illustrator: Tom Sullivan
Publisher: Balzer & Bray, 2016
Age: 4-8
Themes: fish, humans, evolution
Opening: I used to be a fish. But I got tired of swimming.
Summary: (from my library catalog) A boy explains how he used to be a fish, until one day he grew legs and then fur, before becoming human.
Why I like this book: So simple yet the book manages to convey the idea of our history on Earth with a minimal palette and a touch of ‘Suessical’- which ties in well with all the Grinch Sticks I just made for the reading in the bookstore tomorrow (note the green food die on my finger in the third pic!).
Resources/Activities: this book opens the can of worms on evolution, and depending on the child, you can dive deep into discussion or just enjoy the simple yet humorous text; make all the evolving figures out of playdough – or bread dough…and bake!
For more Perfect Picture Book picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
julie rowan-zoch 
What a great way to introduce a complex topic!
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What a clever and entertaining approach for introducing evolution. And I see the Seuss! Thanks for sharing!
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I’ve heard the buzz for this book, but this was my first peek inside. Neat!
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Cute, but hopefully there’s back matter that clarifies that “wanting to change” is not how evolution works?
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It is well explained in the author’s note!
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Interesting book. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for highlighting it.
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What a fun pick! I love new simplified ways of explaining challenging topics!
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Oh my goodness this one I must read for sure. So clever!
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This made me laugh, and recall a question my young son once hopefully asked: “Mom, did you used to be a gorilla?”
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Ha!
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I’m intrigued to learn more about this one. I just read “I am Josephine” by Jan Thornhill and Jacqui Lee, which looks at how humans are classified (animals, human beings, mammals, living things). Interesting how these challenging scientific concepts are finding their way to picture books!
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This looks so interesting. I would love to read more and see how this reaches out to kids. Looks terrific.
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Interesting topic to bring to Picture books. Simplicity in text and layout. Need to check this one out.
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Great to see a review on this book. I love books that make kids think. But, I’m sure it’s controversial. I’m applaud the author! Great illustrations!
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