City Fish, Country Fish

School Library Journal Starred Review
Honor Book SSLI (Society of School Librarians International)

Skipping Stones Honor Award

Some people live in the country, close to the land, where they enjoy peace and quiet. Others live in high-rise apartments in the city and love the hustle and bustle of crowds and non-stop activity, both day and night. In the ocean, too, there are places that have some of the characteristics of “the country” or as “the city.”

Like the classic tale of The City Mouse and the Country Mouse there are advantages and disadvantages to each habitat. This book compares how the fishes that live in tropical seas (“the city”) and those that swim through cold oceans (“the country”) meet the challenges and opportunities of their own ecosystems. It examines how color, shape, and size, as well as behaviors and adaptations, help them survive in their particular habitat. CITY FISH, COUNTRY FISH explores characteristics that make them different, as well as things that make them the same.