Do Fish Sleep?

                                                                        Book Review:

 

Bibliography-

Raschke, J. (2019). Do fish sleep? Enchanted Lion Books.

ISBN 0545902487

 

Plot Summary-

Sick since even before Jette can remember, her brother Emil now has died. The feelings that losing him evoke in her are huge and confusing. Most simply, it feels as though a dark raincloud has descended over her family. And then there's the ridiculous fact that nobody seems to know what happens after you die, and yet adults often talk as if they do.

 

 Critical Analysis-

The story is a heartbreakingly matter-of-fact look at death for middle school age readers from the perspective of Jette, a 10-year-old whose little brother, Emil, dies during the course of the book. Not surprisingly, she and Emil are both questioning what happens to people after they die, animals, too. When Emil asks his sister, “Do fish sleep?” and “Is being dead like being asleep?” She answers “Maybe. Just that you don’t wake up again.” They then both agree that death and sleep are, in fact, very different. Throughout the book, Jette’s parents are lost, the family is grieving. Honest, direct, sad, and confused, Jette is left mostly to sort out her feelings on her own. She describes them at one point as “Thick black clouds of rage.” Do Fish Sleep? is filled with waves of sadness, occasional moments of light scattered about, and conflicting humor typical of its ten-year-old narrator. It is a moving and deep book that is often heartbreaking to read, but necessary to understand children’s viewpoints on this highly emotional subject.

 

Review Excerpts-

2020 Batchelder Award winner

“Do Fish Sleep? is intended to have its light aspects and is much more than simply exploring the death of a little boy, it tells more of a big sister’s journey through grief." -Kirkus Starred Review

“Jens Raschke has written an undogmatic, sometimes light-hearted and sometimes sad story about one of the taboo subjects of our day - a child experiencing and coming to terms with death.” - Kirkus Starred Review

 

Connections-

-This book could be used in the classroom to discuss and show the concept of flashbacks in writing.

-Different themes in the book could be discussed with students, such as family, death, and the circle of life.

-Other books about death and grief that students can read to help them process their feelings are:

The Thing About Jellyfish By: Ali Benjamin

The Line Tender By: Kate Allen

Right As Rain By: Lindsey Stoddard

 

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