There is nothing wrong with this book. It is a nice “little read” yet, it really did nothing for me. The illustrations do have a soft tone to them that makes it pleasant to read as well as to look at. But Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell has something that I am not a huge fan of and that is it is a tad bit too poetic.
Which is a funny thing as I love poetry and I enjoy poetic. However, when it gets too “flowery” (and yes, it is a very fine line, one I am not even sure of until I have found it) then it is too much even for me.
Nonetheless, I do enjoy the art of Richard Jones. I think the almost abstractness of them is the right amount of poetic. The other nice thing about them is they do fit the text very snuggly. Though I am not sure of too many toddlers that will be able to sit and enjoy them. They are crowded at times and it can be difficult to see the details. However, this is the point. The whale of the story, Wednesday, is in the middle of everything. Her world is crowded. Not just because she is a whale in a fishbowl but she is not in the wide-open space of the ocean.
(Spoiler) Yes Wednesday find the place she belongs, for the adult reading, there is no question of that. Yet, the child reader may not grasp that at first. This might spark some discussion with the older child about animals and the wild.