Ma non è uno
scambio giusto.

(ribatte Nathan)

Io ho due pesci rossi
e tu hai solo
un papà.
( )

It’s got a creepy fable-esque vibe to it, in good part to Dave McKean’s art style (which I’ve never been partial to). Quirky, but I can’t imagine most kids would actually appreciate it. If you have to be older to do so, is it that successful of a picture book? ( )

First read this many years ago, now decided to buy a copy for my son. Of course I read it for myself first. The way the book is put together is a classic children's tale - of a quest where each step leads you to the next, until finally you reach your goal, but the premise is highly entertaining, and I love th way dad never emerges from his newspaper. Dave McKean's illustrations are wonderful in both senses, and I'm interested to see what my 5 year old will think of them, as they are a bit over the top in some ways, and I don't know if they'd distract from the story for a younger reader? I came to this originally as a Sandman fan, so the style felt more natural to me then than it does now.

I haven't yet listened to the audio-CD that came with my edition, but look forward to doing so. ( )

This is a dark and mild walking adventure story about a boy who swapped his father for two goldfish and had to work hard to undo his mistake once his mother found out. He follows the trail of trades done back to his father still reading the morning paper. It's a darkly drawn (my Dave McKean, illustrator of Coraline and Wolves in the Wall) picture book that is subtle and quite fun. This is a good design example for high school students in emulation and great for grades 5-7.

Children's book I didn't like very much other than the McKean pictures. They should have left the useless Dad swapped.

I'm sure the cult of Gaiman will disagree with me. ( )