  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 02/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—"I have to win this goldfish." Thus opens the tale of a boy who really wants a pet. His parents, he laments, are too practical. They won't let him have anything fluffy, shaggy, or feathery—or, heaven forbid, anything that eats mice. But tonight he'll be allowed to keep what he wins at the carnival goldfish booth. His aim is true. "Where's my goldfish?" he asks. Alas, he doesn't win a fish. He wins Nuncio, a great blue whale with eager eyes and a perennial smile. "Impractical," his parents moan. But they keep their promise, and Nuncio, tugged on a multiwheeled platform behind their little car, comes to live in their conveniently huge swimming pool. The contrast between the narrator's delight and his parents' vexation is as evident as their postures and facial expressions. While almost every spread is dominated by the enormous Nuncio, some humans are happier than others about bringing in cartloads of fish or being serenaded with sounds reminiscent of a broken siren. When Dad says, "This isn't working out," the young whale owner has to think fast. Nuncio lends a fin in the garden and a spout for the car wash, proving himself a practical family pet—as Dad says, "A real keeper." Reminiscent of countless tales of extraordinary household pets, I Won a What? is a worthwhile contribution. VERDICT With a simple text and entertaining illustrations, this is a heartwarming picture book—and what happens on the very last page is downright beautiful.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/15/2016 It’s tough having practical parents. The young, unnamed narrator of this story wants a pet, but his parents say no. So when a carnival comes to town, the boy seizes his chance to play the goldfish game. What he wins, however, is Nuncio, who is “a bit bigger than a goldfish. Or a dog. Or a goat. Or a baby elephant. Or a refrigerator.” He is the Clifford of fish: a giant blue whale who comes to live in the family’s pool on a trial basis. Turns out, Nuncio may be a handful, but he is completely worth it. The pencil-and-digital illustrations are tons of fun, with most pages filled with Nuncio’s distinctively blue, smiling face, while double-page spreads show Nuncio surrounded by a cast of children. “I wonder what he thinks about me,” the boy muses. If Nuncio’s happy expression isn’t enough to answer the question, the text bubble on the next page (“I won a boy!”) proves that the whale is just as thrilled with the match, and young readers are bound to agree. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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