Product Description
Illus. in color. "An exquisite picture book. A little fish, the lone survivor of a school of fish swallowed by a tuna, devises a plan to camouflage himself and his new companions."--(starred) School Library Journal.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 26 reviews)

Explaining Community organizing

When my children were young, Swimmy was one of the books we often read together. Our daughter,Kathryn, now 24, graduated from the University of Chicago with her Masters in Social work, emphasizing in Community Organization. I wanted the young kids coming to her graduation party to have an idea about what Kathryn had studied, and Swimmy offered a perfect example of a group of individuals working together to change their outcome for the better. Leo Lionni's story discusses community relationships,the process of overcoming tragedy, resilience, and the ability of the individual to make a positive impact on society. What a great message for kids to hear. Thank you Leo Lionni, this story never grows old.
July 09, 2008

A Lovely Aquatic Adventure

This classic, celebrated picture book is a fantastic achievement in children's literature. Notable for its beautiful aquatic watercolor paintings and graceful prose, the story of an exceptional little fish's communal tragedy, adventures and ultimate triumph are evocatively rendered and easy for children to comfortably digest. This book is a unique celebration of exploration and both individual and collective values: it conveys how the exceptional among us can drive a group to preserve itself and accomplish greatness.
June 07, 2008

Excellent Read Aloud For Any Age!

Swimmy, a black fish among a school of red fish, looses his school to a bigger fish, leaving him alone in the ocean world. Lonely Swimmy makes new discoveries as he swims through the wet world. Finally, he meets a new school of red fish, and he introduces them to the wonders that he has discovered. Lionni not only wrote the text for this book, but he also illustrated the pictures. As you read Swimmy, you flow through the words easily. Lionni uses descriptive language to create a logical flow to the story. He also adds in words or vocabulary that are specific to an ocean setting. These words may be harder for a younger student to read, but this story is best used as a read aloud. When creating the illustrations for this text, Lionni uses watercolors to create his ocean scene. He also pays close attention to the use of space, color, and texture. Lionni puts his text within the illustrations creating a notion that they are one. Colors are used to create a mood that goes along with the feelings within the text. The texture of the pictures makes the underwater scene more believable. This book is an excellent choice when looking for just a read a loud or to teach the themes of perseverance, cooperation, and unity.

May 13, 2008

Enjoyable read.

A little sad to begin with since his entire family gets gobbled up, but an enjoyable read none-the-less. A little fish who looks different from everyone else uses his differences to help himself and his new friends. I probably like this book better than my son does. And perhaps it's controversial for me to say this, but my son enjoys Rainbow Fish more. I like both books equally, but Rainbow Fish does have nicer illustrations, and I think the "lesson" in Rainbow Fish is easier for him to grasp. But, you really can't compare the two beyond the illustrations b/c the lesson in Rainbow Fish and Swimmy are really different.
December 02, 2007

Swimmy

Swimmy is a great book to start out with at the beginning of the school year. It teaches cooperation and teamwork.
November 05, 2006

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Frederick
by Leo Lionni

Fish is Fish
by Leo Lionni

Inch by Inch
by Leo Lionni

Little Blue and Little Yellow
by Leo Lionni

A Color of His Own
by Leo Lionni