hldillon's review
2.0
Interesting book on how sardines are canned. - controversial
Written and illustrated by Chris Raschka
Written and illustrated by Chris Raschka
sunny76's review against another edition
4.0
Arlene wants to be a sardine, but she is only a brisling. Can Arlene become a sardine and what does it take for Arlene to become a sardine?
faeriedrumsong's review
1.0
I scrolled through the thoughts of other for a little insight into how this book could be used and why some like it.
It could be used in a lesson on mathematics, as pointed out by someone. With each student getting her own sardine tin...
It could be used to describe the process of canning fish, I suppose.
But this book is just odd to me. While the colors of the artwork are pretty and the art itself is lively, drawing the eye around the page, the story leaves a lot to be desired.
It seems the author couldn't quite decide whether to write a story about the harsh realities of our food sources, or a cute story about an anthropomorphized fish with big dreams.
A book with a successful suicide as the main plot is just...problematic to me.
It could be used in a lesson on mathematics, as pointed out by someone. With each student getting her own sardine tin...
It could be used to describe the process of canning fish, I suppose.
But this book is just odd to me. While the colors of the artwork are pretty and the art itself is lively, drawing the eye around the page, the story leaves a lot to be desired.
It seems the author couldn't quite decide whether to write a story about the harsh realities of our food sources, or a cute story about an anthropomorphized fish with big dreams.
A book with a successful suicide as the main plot is just...problematic to me.
jaelikes's review against another edition
4.0
Why though? What? Is Chris Raschka a pen name for Franz Kafka? This book contains more information than I care to know about sardines. It was very enjoyably horrific.
cbashore's review against another edition
4.0
I can't remember ever laughing so hard in a book. I also realized after reading this that I have quite the morbid sense of humor. I think if I were to have this in a classroom I would just keep it on my shelf for independent reading. I think it is a bit too controversial to read a loud maybe? I think it is a unique way to explain death errr.. and maybe where sardines come from :)
quasinaut's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
3.5
If you want an unexpectedly detailed story of how a young fish, Arlene, becomes a packed-in-a-tin sardine, look no further! I wouldn't exactly read this with any too-young kids, but it brings me a certain joy to know that this odd book exists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
lindamoore's review against another edition
5.0
If you are a brisling with aspirations to be a sardine, you're going to have to go through some rough stuff.
josh_caporale's review against another edition
1.0
Zero Stars
This is the worst children's book I have ever read and I feel that it is inappropriate to even classify this as a children's book. Why? Because it plays off as more of a thoughtless joke than it does an appealing work for kids that kids will even get. The age group that is beginning to mock children's literature may find this to be cool, but I bet that most of them would not even waste their time. When you are attempting to appeal to an audience, you need to appeal to an audience. Raschka blew it on this one!
To begin with, the entire book is misleading. Arlene is a fish that wants to become a sardine. A sardine is a type of fish, so Arlene is already a sardine. From how I am interpreting it, Arlene WANTS to be placed in a can, sold, and eaten. This idea is completely personified and heartless. The fact that she dies in the middle and that it is not even a great deal can easily traumatize the target audience to the point that A.) They will have trouble sleeping and B.) They will never want to eat sardines. In addition to a misleading book comes crappy illustration. The author points out Arlene, but as the story progresses, she is just another fish. Not to mention that the illustration is blurry and depressing.
This book was pathetic. Absolutely pathetic! I feel that the purchase of this book would be a disservice to your children, for it would traumatize them and this would be a story that would easily be hidden away like the scary looking house ornament. I feel that the only person that would get enjoyment out of this book is a person who is looking for a gag and takes children's literature as a joke. Vegetarians, vegans, and sea creature sympathizers would get no enjoyment out of this, even if they like gags. I cannot think of any good reason why this book deserves any portion of star from me and it is immoral to glorify the death of a precious creature, because they want to be eaten. Do not let the one star mislead you, because it is the lowest rating recognized by Goodreads. Zero stars it is!
This is the worst children's book I have ever read and I feel that it is inappropriate to even classify this as a children's book. Why? Because it plays off as more of a thoughtless joke than it does an appealing work for kids that kids will even get. The age group that is beginning to mock children's literature may find this to be cool, but I bet that most of them would not even waste their time. When you are attempting to appeal to an audience, you need to appeal to an audience. Raschka blew it on this one!
To begin with, the entire book is misleading. Arlene is a fish that wants to become a sardine. A sardine is a type of fish, so Arlene is already a sardine. From how I am interpreting it, Arlene WANTS to be placed in a can, sold, and eaten. This idea is completely personified and heartless. The fact that she dies in the middle and that it is not even a great deal can easily traumatize the target audience to the point that A.) They will have trouble sleeping and B.) They will never want to eat sardines. In addition to a misleading book comes crappy illustration. The author points out Arlene, but as the story progresses, she is just another fish. Not to mention that the illustration is blurry and depressing.
This book was pathetic. Absolutely pathetic! I feel that the purchase of this book would be a disservice to your children, for it would traumatize them and this would be a story that would easily be hidden away like the scary looking house ornament. I feel that the only person that would get enjoyment out of this book is a person who is looking for a gag and takes children's literature as a joke. Vegetarians, vegans, and sea creature sympathizers would get no enjoyment out of this, even if they like gags. I cannot think of any good reason why this book deserves any portion of star from me and it is immoral to glorify the death of a precious creature, because they want to be eaten. Do not let the one star mislead you, because it is the lowest rating recognized by Goodreads. Zero stars it is!