So, controversial book... I don't know, but is this subject really in a children's book?? I grew up with a family of fishermen. We would go out in the summer on my grandpa's boat, fishing and swimming all day in the Mississippi River. Afterwards, we would go home and cook/eat our catches of the day. In the winter we would do the same thing, except this time instead of basking in the sun, I would be sitting on top of a bucket on a thick slab of ice... so needless to say fishing does not bother me or disgust me one bit. However, this book was not an enjoyable read for me. Informational, Yes. Fun reading, No!
Arlene is a sardine. She dies and the author makes it sound like the best thing ever. She was put with fish her own size, got to take a salty bath, she was smoked delicately, and felt well rested on the conveyor belt. SERIOUSLY?! If I wanted to learn about the process of packing sardines I would watch the Food Network or Discover Channel... not read a children's picture book about it.
I agree. I felt the same when I read this book. I was shocked actually, because the art was so beautiful and the text so repellent. In general, I dislike the concept sometimes found in children's materials that an animal likes and wants to be killed and processed to serve humans.
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