239
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #122,590 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★☆☆☆☆
Message is unclear to potentially problematic
The illustrations are beautiful and adorable. However, I was quite disturbed by the story and regret buying this book. Essentially, the main character (male) swims around with a facial expression that the other characters judge and tell him to change his expression to please others ("Your hulky-bulky sulking is an unattractive trait!"). Then, a stranger comes along and kisses him (without his permission). This changes his entire outlook and then he goes around kissing everyone else (not clear if they gave permission). Due to concerns about the messages of this book (though probably not intended), I will not be sharing this book with my daughter.
October 2018 · Books · verified purchase