Paul, the goldfish, leads an uneventful, solitary life. That is, until Bernadette, drops into his fishbowl. Bernadette is a goldfish with a fresh perspective on life. She challenges Paul's perpetual circling, asking him to look to the world outside the bowl. Out there is a curvy yellow banana boat, a forest of colorful flowers in a vase, and other fanciful sights. Paul's quite sure he spies two fried eggs right outside the bowl, but Bernadette assures him that they are the sun and the moon. Soon, Paul is over the moon for Bernadette and her creative way of looking at everyday objects. Increasingly detailed creamy, candy-colored oil paintings are a perfect accompaniment to the simple prose and never-rushed pacing in this charming story of active imaginations and infatuated fish. (Ages 5-8)

Visual humor sweetens an artful tale about a fish who suddenly sees everything a new way — thanks to a charismatic companion.

Paul is a fish who used to go around in circles. He made big circles and little circles. He circled from left to right and from right to left. He circled from top to bottom and from bottom to top. What else was there to do? Until one day Bernadette drops in and shows Paul that there is a whole world out there, right outside his bowl, with so many things to see. A banana-shaped boat! A blue elephant with a spoutlike trunk (be quiet when she’s feeding her babies)! A lovely lunetta butterfly, with tortoise-shell rims! Simple saturated paintings play off this charming ode to an active imagination — and the way that life changes when a bewitching creature opens your eyes.