Book Review - Do Fish Sleep?

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Raschke, Jens. (2019). Illustrated by Jens Rassmus. Translated by Belinda Cooper. DO
FISH SLEEP? Enchanted Lion Books. ISBN: 978-1592702855

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this story about coping with death and loss, big sister Jette loses her younger brother
Emil to a terminal illness. She describes his passing, his funeral, and various emotions of
grief and relief that she feels. The author has her wonder about death and what it really
means and what happens to those left behind.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The author does a superior job of writing from a kid’s perspective about what they think
death is like and describing the grief they feel about losing a loved one. Though heaven
is mentioned, he doesn’t go into any specific religions and has the kid remain rather
ambiguous about a higher power of any sort. This decision allows for the book to reach
more audiences and provides a frank and truthful outlook on the questions kids have
about death.

Throughout the book, the author goes through not only the emotions that death provokes
but the physical effects as well. In a graphic way that’s not drawn but rather left to the
imagination, the author talks about picking out a coffin, being buried, and then decaying
with bugs and worms helping the process. Mentioning the emotional and physical
procedures after death gives a genuine and blunt response to questions that could be
uncomfortable for some to answer.

Illustrations are not found on every page, but the ones featured are impactful to the story.
The illustrator keeps the pictures simple with black and white sketches and the only color
added is a deep blue green, highlighting certain aspects such as the sadness, shadows,
and water. The black clouds are a powerful addition because they stand out amongst the
other images and represent what the character is feeling on the inside even though it’s
hard to describe. Readers are able to connect the words and images to create a deeper
connection and see the emotions of the adults compared to those of the child. For
instance, one picture shows the child in black and white but the mother is drenched in
blue, depicting the overwhelming grief she feels about losing one of her children.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

MILDRED L. BATCHELDER AWARD 2020
ALSC NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOKS - COMMENDED 2020
JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTIONS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STAR REVIEW: “Brutally honest about the suffering that follows
the death of a young sibling, Raschke’s narrative is at once excruciating, honest, and compelling."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Relatable to any children coping or learning about death and grief
*Other books about coping with death for children:
THE INVISIBLE STRING. ISBN: 978-0316570879
I MISS YOU. ISBN: 978-0764117640
THE MEMORY BOX. ISBN: 978-1506426723
CRY, HEART, BUT NEVER BREAK. ISBN: 978-1592701872
THE GOODBYE BOOK. ISBN: 978-0316404976