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Wish for a Fish: All about Sea Creatures



Last updated Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Author: Bonnie Worth
Date of Publication: 1999
ISBN: 0679891161
Grade Level: 1st    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jul. 2023

Synopsis: The Cat in the Hat, Sally, and Dick take an undersea voyage aboard the S.S. Undersea Glubber! Traveling down from the Sunny Zone to the Dark Zone to the Trench at the bottom, Captain Cat and his crew get up close and personal with the different life forms found at each level of the ocean. Along the way, they meet sharks, jellyfish, dolphins, manatees, whales, and sea cucumbers, to name just a few!

Note to readers:
•  Page 5 - Chart showing the different "zones" that will be explored in the book
•  Page 40 - Glossary

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Have you been to the beach before?
•  Have you seen any fish or other sea creatures at the beach?
•  Count the tentacles on the octopus (cover of the book).

Vocabulary:

•  twilight - a soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon.
•  abyss - a hole almost too deep to measure
•  trench - a deep ditch
•  transparent - something so light or clear that you can see through it.
•  prey - an animal hunted for food
•  versus - against - a word used to describe two people or animals that are engaged in a contest

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Have you been to an aquarium?
•  Do you have a pet fish at home?
•  Which sea creature do you like most?

Craft ideas:
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/july-2023-amazing-animals/
•  Sea creatures handprint art. Have students trace their hand to make the body of the sea creature of fins. For example, the octopus can be created by tracing one hand without the thumb twice. This will be the body with tentacles.

Special activities:
•  Count how many sea creatures are on the cover of the book or count how many types of sea creatures are described in each zone.
•  Wish-wish-fish played like duck-duck-goose.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!