Tot Book Club

More Than Just a Story

Pout-Pout Fish

Book 8 of 40

Speaking of books that go on repeat,
The Pout-Pout Fish gets the honor of 2 or 3 read-throughs in one sitting as well! Fortunately, i love this book as well! Another great one from 2008 that is standing the test of time, and I'm sure will continue to do so. His first book success may have gone to his head, because you can find all kinds of Pout-Pout Fish stories these days, however I am a bit loyal to the original!

While I love the rhyme and lessons that Deborah Diesen creates using Pout-Pout Fish, If you haven't had a chance to pick it up, go with the original story first! You'll love all his sea creature friends and their rhyming rhythms giving him advice on how to change his attitude! Of course it all ends up being a matter of perspective and one someone to come along and bring out the positive side! If you find that your tot just won't let you put the book down, try some of these activities to spice things up!



  1. Look at the illustrations: There are fish, crabs, shells, and sea creatures to count. Notice the different facial expressions of Pout-Pout Fish's advisors. See if your tot can predict what will be on the next page after looking at the triptychs on right page.
  2. Play with facial expressions: Whether you draw or take photos of each other, play with how your face changes to show different emotions. You might find that your tot can't distinguish between certain emotions, like the subtle difference between surprised and scared, so point out the distinctions.
  3. Make some sea creatures: There are wonderful ideas on pinterest for lots of different sea creatures, so check out my pinterest board for some inspiration, but for a quick idea, try making a shimmery fish with foil.
  4. Pretend to be an octopus: Collect some suction cups and see what you can stick to, then strengthen your tot's fine motor skills with trying to unstick the suction cups. Dig a little deeper and explore why they stick to some things and not others. What do they need to create suction?
  5. Discuss the vocabulary: There is an abundance of new, playful words in this book. Don't be afraid to point out the new words and explore other situations to use them. Use this glossary for some help!
  6. Play with water: Set up a water play bin or table. See if you can get some things to sink slowly as The Pout-Pout Fish does as he says "Blub, bluuub, bluuuuuub." With some kissy lips as your bait, go fishing in the water table! All you need are some foam lips with a magnet and foam fish attached to paperclips.
  7. Set up a sensory bin: You can hide some fish in some colored rice or grab some different colored sea stones and shells from the dollar store to create a fun sensory experience. If you want to get a little more adventurous check out these slippery fish from Twodaloo!
  8. Make Jello: In a jar or in a cup, this looks like a fun snack! Shark Tank Jello!
  9. Play a game of tag: Depending on your group you can make this a game of kissy tag by chasing each other for kisses, or just cut out the shape of lips and add some tape, then chase each other to stick each other with a "SMOOCH!"
  10. Explore ocean levels: Pout-Pout Fish seems to make his way to the ocean floor, but there is so much more ocean out there than we think. Use this book as a springboard for exploring exactly how deep the ocean is. If you want to look further into ocean depth, try How Deep Is The Ocean by Anna Milbourne
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