The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Deisen is a wonderful book that helps to begin age appropriate conversations with children about emotions and feelings. The Pout-Pout Fish is a story about Mr. Fish who has a perpetual frown on his face. He always feels sad much to the concern of his friends in the ocean. His friends try to give him advice and want him to smile and be cheerful, but Mr. Fish is convinced that this is just the way he is. That is until one little fish gives him a kiss and changes his whole outlook on things. The Pout-Pout Fish becomes the Kiss-Kiss Fish and sets about making his friends as happy as he is. To turn them around how, exactly? From being depressed into being an assaulter? Not a great way to turn things around, I'd say! In the end, we learn that the pout pout fish has incorrectly identified itself and when another fish slides up and gives that fish a kiss, it exclaims that it realizes "...I was wrong! I'm a kiss-kiss fish with a kiss-kiss face..." And even if it means a familial or friendly 'kiss' that's still a gross message. You don't tell someone who's sad that they're an annoying burden and demand they be happy! No person, child or otherwise, should have to listen to that. You don't randomly kiss strangers without consent - and the book makes it clear the female kissing fish is one nobody had seen before, so she wasn't friend or family. Maybe let's don't teach kids that the cure to sadness is to go around kissing random folk without even asking...? Just a thought. What does the Pout-Pout fish do after the Silver fish kisses him? Why might that make him feel better? Do you think the Silver fish should have asked the Pout-Pout fish before they kissed?

My friends,” says Mr. Fish, “I should have known it all along. I thought that I was pouty, but it turns out I was wrong. I’m a kiss-kiss fish…” A little fish is sad. His friends bully him for it by telling him that his frown is unattractive and he's being a downer - that he should just smile and have hope instead. Then a female fish he's never met before comes along, kisses him, and swims away. Suddenly, he's happy and goes around kissing everyone he sees. The final line, presented as if the moral, is: "Sometimes a kiss is all it takes to turn things around."How much does having a meaningful purpose contribute to having a good, happy life? Can someone be happy without a purpose? Or have a purpose, but not be happy?

Anyone who's had the misfortune of dealing with depression knows how this goes. Selfish and/or ignorant jerks who claim to care about you tell you to just smile, as if the expression on your face will magically fix the sadness in your mind. They complain that you're 'sulking' and point out how unappealing your sadness is as if they can shame you into faking a smile until it becomes real. This book also asks the important question of what role purpose plays in having a meaningful life and whether a purpose needs to be meaningful or not. Some may believe that the Pout-Pout fish’s life seems to go from having no meaning to being meaningful after finding his purpose. Others may disagree and claim that his purpose is meaningless. This debate asks the important question of whether it is up to you or someone else to decide if your purpose is meaningful or worthwhile. Many activities can seem like a waste of time if one focuses on it, but perhaps it is a matter of perspective and how it affects people’s lives differently. For example, a man who spends his life counting all the blades of grass on his lawn may seem like he has a pointless purpose, but it may be completely meaningful to him or maybe even some others who know him to count all the blades of grass on his lawn. Considering this, we can begin to think about what makes a purpose worthwhile and meaningful. Does his purpose even need to have meaning? Hopefully, through this book, we can produce a productive conversation about purpose and meaningfulness. Questions for Philosophical Discussion Happiness We borrowed this from the library and have read it a few times now. My 15-month-old loves "Blub, Bluuub, Bluuuuuuub" and the illustrations, but I struggle with the issues of consent and Mr. Fish's friends' unwillingness to accept him for who he is. Also, it took me several reads to figure out the rhythm of the ending, and I say that as a professional musician. I understand now what the author wants from the reader, but it really bothers me. It's essentially missing half a phrase, so it feels abrupt and takes (me and) my son by surprise every time. Now, I will give credit that this doesn't make him any happier. But this isn't a story about having reasonable compassion or helping friends who are struggling or not saying hurtful things to people who are sad. No, see, it's about how apparently all this little 'pout-pout fish' needs is to be kissed and discover he was actually a 'kiss-kiss fish' all along, unaware he just needed to share joy by kissing everyone instead of pouting all day. Here's a better idea: don't teach kids to torment people with depression or general sadness and not to accept being treated that way. And definitely don't condone kissing or accepting kisses from total strangers without consent!Is it more important that he feels better or that he has this new purpose? What is the connection between the two? Now, before you think I'm reading too much into this, let me assure you that not only is the glumness of his 'pouting' constantly referred to as a downer but I'm not just inferring his friends guilting and insulting him for it.

After being kissed by the Silver fish, the Pout-Pout fish’s purpose seems to be making other fish feel better. Is this purpose meaningful, or is it pointless? And what does this poor, little fish's friends do? Exactly that! Something we should be teaching children to avoid doing is presented as if totally normal.Looks like if you submit a review through the Kindle app, it overwrites an existing goodreads review. Oops... So now you get to see both. Wow, so... I don't even know how to articulate how much I hate the message of this book. I wouldn't let it near any child I cared about, unless they were too young to understand the words. And even then, I'd be hesitant because it portrays a fish being very sad and his so-called friends making him feel worse about it then a whole bunch of random kissing. Thank goodness for other reviewers. I bought the book, and it is now a favorite for 9 month old Sammy. It's equally useful for any gender, with no assumptions made.