  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 04/01/2014 K-Gr 3—Rendered in mixed media in warm hues, with stylized illustrations and an introspective philosophy, this story is about a fish who learns about how he ended up in his bowl at Foster G. Williker's diner. The rhyming text moves the story along as customers come in and out of the diner and stop to talk to Glub. As they offer tips for taking care of him, Glub shows them their memories and their dreams through fish bubbles, making even the most skeptical person happy. Eventually, Glub shows the diner's owner his true dream for happiness and even shares one of his own. Similar to Devin Scillian's Memoirs of a Goldfish (Sleeping Bear, 2010), this story will appeal to older children who grasp the power of dreams, hopes, and memories, while younger children will enjoy the antics of Glub and the people he meets during his time at the diner.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 04/15/2014 The tenant who lives upstairs of a nondescript diner moves and leaves behind a goldfish. Foster, who runs the diner, takes it downstairs. When a little girl makes “Glub-glub!” sounds at the bowl, the fish assumes Glub is his name. And while Glub looks ordinary, he wonders about everything. This charming allegory may be too old for the intended age group in some ways, but even little ones will respond to Glub’s big questions: Who am I? What am I doing here? Where is home? Glub finds his own special talent—blowing bubbles into the shapes of people’s dreams—which leads at least some of the people who frequent the diner to listen to their hearts. It takes Foster a little longer, but by book’s end, both Foster and fish have dreams fulfilled. Artfully told, the story’s melancholy edge is melted by the connections made between characters. The collage-style art charms with its childlike appeal that helps put the book right at the reader’s level. This is a book to return to, with nuance adding to each reading. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
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