The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Sullivan, Tom

I Used to Be a Fish

48 pp. | HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray | October, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-245198-9 $17.99

(1) K-3 Musing on the history of human evolution, this spare, deceptively simple text fancifully traces a fish all the way up in its evolution to a human boy who can fly. Sullivan uses a Seuss-like style and format: large-font stanzas centered on pages face illustrations employing three high-contrasting colors (blue, black, and red) on generous white backgrounds. An author's note addresses the text's artistic liberties. Timeline.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016