You know what? I thought “the three fishes” would be another cute fish book. Splash, rhyme, night-night. Nope. It’s a folk tale with some bite. I’ve read this picture book at home, at my tiny library storytime, and even during a rainy Sunday when my kids were stuck to the couch like cookies on a hot pan. It stuck with us.
If you're curious to experience the story firsthand, you can swim over to TheThreeFishes.com for a beautifully retold version.
If you’d like the longer play-by-play of how this story swam from a bookstore shelf into our bedtime rotation, I lay it all out in my extended write-up, How This Little Folk Tale Landed in Our House.
By the way, I’m talking about the children’s story based on the old tale where three fish handle danger in three different ways. Fishermen come with a net. Choices get made. Consequences follow. Big, simple idea: think ahead, act fast, or just hope for the best.
Adults need that reminder, too. If you’re curious about a tool that applies the same “snap decision” energy to real-life planning, check out Snap-X—their quick-fire method breaks projects into manageable steps and shows you exactly how to move from wishful thinking to action.
What’s inside the book (and what hit me)
- Three fish. One plans. One solves things on the spot. One shrugs and waits.
- A quiet pond, reeds, frogs, moonlight—bright art with warm golds and deep blues. Those glowing colours remind me of the welcoming dining room I gushed about in my warm-bellied review of The Three Fishes in Lancashire—both leave you feeling toasty inside.
- Clear language. Repeated lines. Great for young readers and English learners.
- A moral that isn’t too preachy. Still, it’s firm. Choices matter.
Quick note: the ending does have a sad beat. It’s not gory. It’s honest. My 7-year-old handled it fine. My 4-year-old needed a hug and a snack (a square of Lancashire cheese works wonders).
Real life: Bedtime, bath time, and one noisy craft
First read: bedtime with Mia (7) and Theo (4). I did voices. Slow voice for the “planner” fish. Quick voice for the “doer.” Chill voice for the “wait-and-see” fish. During the net scene, Mia whispered, “I’d move ponds now.” Theo said, “I’ll use my shark.” He doesn’t own a shark, but I respect the vibe.
Second read: bath time. I grabbed a metal colander as “the net” and two rubber fish. We tried the plans. One fish “played dead.” One swam under the edges. One…well, the colander got it. Theo shouted, “We should’ve planned!” Then he asked for more bubbles and, predictably, a bowl of Lancashire hot pot to refuel afterward. Balance.
Rainy-day craft: we built the pond with a paper plate, blue tissue, and green yarn for reeds. I used a piece of string as the net. Mia drew three fish with different faces—one with big thinking eyebrows. We retold the story in 10 minutes. Fast, messy, perfect.
Storytime test: Twelve kids, three sticky notes, one big lesson
Our little library is tucked into a town so petite it could rival Whalley in Lancashire for “blink and you miss it” charm. I brought “the three fishes” last Saturday. Ages were 5 to 8. I asked, “Which fish are you today?” They each picked a sticky note color:
- Yellow = planner
- Blue = quick thinker
- Green = wait-and-see
We paused before the net. Kids predicted endings. One boy said, “I’d cut the net with my teeth.” Another girl said, “Why not move ponds yesterday?” We talked about fire drills and why we practice. That’s SEL, by the way—social-emotional learning. Fancy term, simple idea: feelings + choices.
What I like (and why it works)
- The art pops. Warm tones. Patterns that feel like folk art, but not too busy.
- The pacing builds. It starts calm, then tightens near the net.
- Repeated phrases help young readers track the plot.
- Big conversation starter. Planning, teamwork, and taking action.
- Our copy has a short note about the folktale’s roots. It helped me frame the moral without a lecture.
What bugged me (just a bit)
- The middle can drag for toddlers. I skipped one page on a rough night. No harm done.
- The fishermen look a little intense. Not scary-scary, but I saw Theo’s eyes get wide.
- The paper cover scuffs easy. Toss it in a backpack and you’ll see fingerprints fast.
- That sad note at the end can sting. I had to reassure a couple of kids, “We’re safe. This is a story.”
How I read it now (tiny tweaks that help)
- For ages 3–4, I trim a page and soften the ending: “Sometimes stories warn us.”
- I use a string as the “net.” It turns a tense scene into a mini play.
- I ask two quick questions:
- “Which fish are you today, and why?”
- “What could the stubborn fish do sooner next time?”
- With older kids, I link it to real life: seatbelts, saving money, packing for a trip.
Who it’s great for
- Parents who like stories with heart and a real lesson.
- Teachers and librarians who want a short SEL chat without a slideshow.
- Counselors and coaches who talk about choices and planning.
- Families reading together on holiday—especially if you’re holed up in one of these dog-friendly cottages in Lancashire.
- Kids who love animals but can handle a serious beat.
Who might skip it
- Families who want only silly, rhyming, no-stakes fish tales.
- Toddlers who startle easy. Try a preview first.
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A couple of lighter alternatives
- Swimmy by Leo Lionni: teamwork, gentle art, soft landing.
- The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen: rhymes, fun faces, zero nets.
My take, plain and simple
“The three fishes” earned a spot on our short shelf—the one we reach for on weeknights. It’s not fluffy. It’s clear. It gives you a real talk about thinking ahead, but with fish and reeds and moonlight, so it goes down easy.
I’ll keep reading it. I’ll keep tweaking the ending for little ears. And I’ll keep that colander by the tub, just in case we need to practice one more escape.