A Fish Out of Water

A classic, comic easy reader about getting a pet!

In this beloved Beginner Book, a young boy hilariously learns the consequences of not following instructions when he feeds too much to his goldfish—causing it to grow as big as a whale! With delightfully retro illustrations by P.D. Eastman (Go, Dog. Go!), the message of the book—that getting a pet is a big responsibility—is as true today as it was when the book was published in 1961. 

Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read! Launched by Dr. Seuss in 1957 with the publication of The Cat in the Hat, this beloved early reader series motivates children to read on their own by using simple words with illustrations that give clues to their meaning. Featuring a combination of kid appeal, supportive vocabulary, and bright, cheerful art, Beginner Books will encourage a love of reading in children ages 3–7.

"Comic pictures show how the fish rapidly outgrows its bowl, a vase, a cook pot, a bathtub." —The New York Times

HELEN PALMER was a children's book author and editor who—along with her husband, Theordor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss)—founded Beginner Books, a division of Random House that specialized in books aimed at Beginning Readers, like The Cat in the Hat.

P. D. EASTMAN, a self-described "writer-visualizer," wrote and illustrated many popular children's books, among them Are You My Mother? and Go, Dog. Go!