agudenburr's review against another edition
4.0
A super funny book that reminds me of the telephone game. Blobfish is lonely so he shouts "Deep-sea party! Bring a treat to share!" and the message changes as it is passed along. Would make a funny read aloud for elementary children.
scostner's review against another edition
4.0
It's funny how some topic or type of character will suddenly appear in several places with no connection to each other. In this instance, it's a blobfish. Only last month Jess Keating's book, Pink Is for Blobfish, was on our school's book fair - and now here is a story of hilarious miscommunication also starring a blobfish.
Where Keating's book is a nonfiction look at pink creatures in nature, Miranda Paul has written a tale of a lonely guy who just wants some friends, lights, and delicious treats. That's not asking too much, is it? As he sees it, Blobfish can either "1. Throw a party. 2. Save the world in true hero style." Naturally he decides that throwing a party would be easier, but it doesn't go well. Everyone who hears his invitation actually mis-hears it. "Deep-sea party! Bring a treat to share!" becomes "Creepy tree party! Wring and eat your hair!" and even worse variations.
Just when Blobfish despairs of ever having a party, or friends, or delicious treats, a surprise twist happens. (I'm not saying what it is.) I will say that Blobfish reminds me of Big Al in the book by Andrew Clements. They both are lonely and want friends, and their best efforts don't seem to work. But Blobfish's story is a great one to use when looking at silly rhymes (think The Hungry Thing), or miscommunication in general. Kids can have fun inventing their own rhymes for different groups and different settings. What can they think of to add to the ballerinas, sheep, mermaids, and monkeys already in the book?
Maggie Caton's illustrations show a guy with a sad face that would give the Pout Pout Fish a run for his money. Each group's reaction to their interpretation of Blobfish's invitation is sure to provoke lots of smiles and giggles, especially the big scene where "Everyone was partying in loud, weird ways." And I love the way she shows the reporters backtracking to where the whole idea originated. (It was my first time ever seeing a cow in a scuba helmet.)
If you have a young reader who enjoys humorous and even downright wacky stories, or you need a good book about careful listening or miscommunication - grab a copy of Blobfish Throws a Party. Just be prepared for the laughter!
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.
Where Keating's book is a nonfiction look at pink creatures in nature, Miranda Paul has written a tale of a lonely guy who just wants some friends, lights, and delicious treats. That's not asking too much, is it? As he sees it, Blobfish can either "1. Throw a party. 2. Save the world in true hero style." Naturally he decides that throwing a party would be easier, but it doesn't go well. Everyone who hears his invitation actually mis-hears it. "Deep-sea party! Bring a treat to share!" becomes "Creepy tree party! Wring and eat your hair!" and even worse variations.
Just when Blobfish despairs of ever having a party, or friends, or delicious treats, a surprise twist happens. (I'm not saying what it is.) I will say that Blobfish reminds me of Big Al in the book by Andrew Clements. They both are lonely and want friends, and their best efforts don't seem to work. But Blobfish's story is a great one to use when looking at silly rhymes (think The Hungry Thing), or miscommunication in general. Kids can have fun inventing their own rhymes for different groups and different settings. What can they think of to add to the ballerinas, sheep, mermaids, and monkeys already in the book?
Maggie Caton's illustrations show a guy with a sad face that would give the Pout Pout Fish a run for his money. Each group's reaction to their interpretation of Blobfish's invitation is sure to provoke lots of smiles and giggles, especially the big scene where "Everyone was partying in loud, weird ways." And I love the way she shows the reporters backtracking to where the whole idea originated. (It was my first time ever seeing a cow in a scuba helmet.)
If you have a young reader who enjoys humorous and even downright wacky stories, or you need a good book about careful listening or miscommunication - grab a copy of Blobfish Throws a Party. Just be prepared for the laughter!
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.
giantarms's review against another edition
3.0
Cons: The lesson seems to be people who do the minimum of effort to attain their dreams will, apparently, be rewarded with everything they could ever dream of.
Pros: Lots of shouting and some space aliens.
For real, if my kids have hearing problems, I will not be surprised if it's because their mom gets excited about picture-book-induced yelling.
Pros: Lots of shouting and some space aliens.
For real, if my kids have hearing problems, I will not be surprised if it's because their mom gets excited about picture-book-induced yelling.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
My niece got me good. The cover of this book looks hideous. She brought this to read because she read it and liked it. I told her it looks awful. She told me “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. So we read it. Guess what. It was funny. We laughed together. The Blobfish was lonely and simply wanted community. He wanted to throw a party. Out of the mouth of babes. It's a good thing I listened to her.
I can relate to Blobfish a little. I am looking for community. I have great friends at school and they all live very far away around the area - 30 minutes to an hour mostly. Anyway, it’s a good story and I did enjoy it despite the terrible cover. Most of the time, you can tell, but there is always an exception.
I can relate to Blobfish a little. I am looking for community. I have great friends at school and they all live very far away around the area - 30 minutes to an hour mostly. Anyway, it’s a good story and I did enjoy it despite the terrible cover. Most of the time, you can tell, but there is always an exception.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
4.0
Good for talking to kids about miscommunication and it's entertaining.
mandarchy's review against another edition
3.0
Is it just me or is creative listening always funny? I though the story was funny, but when I read aloud each example of creative listening my son asked me to stop using my yelling voice - I wasn't yelling - I thought I was implying yelling. I think it would be a fun read aloud with some other kids. Maybe not my kid.
annieliz's review against another edition
4.0
Exceeded my expectations - I can see this being a really fun read aloud.
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