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Overview
"A gorgeous celebration of swimming, disability, and imagination." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In the spirit of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners and I Talk Like a River, this lyrical picture book from acclaimed author Jamie Sumner tells the story of a child in swim therapy and celebrates the ways differently abled bodies can move in the water. Under here, there isno top or bottom,
no left or right--
only fields of water to wander in
as topsy-turvy as I like. Underwater, everything looks different--and every body moves differently, too. During swim therapy, a child discovers he can be anything: a catfish, a seahorse, a starfish cartwheeling across the universe. He finds the magic of moving in wholly new ways, just like he does on land in his trusty wheelchair.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9781665942577
- ISBN-10: 1665942576
- Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
- Publish Date: April 2026
- Dimensions: 10.64 x 9.14 x 0.48 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.97 pounds
- Page Count: 40
- Reading Level: Ages 4-8
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A glorious love letter to water, A Fish Like Me is the perfect encouragement for young swimmers. A boy plunges into a pool, pretending to be various creatures—a starfish, a catfish, a seahorse, a snail—while enjoying the ability to move underwater in different ways.
Jamie Sumner’s prose swirls in delightful twists and turns, sometimes curling across the page along with the narrator: “Under here, I am a starfish, cartwheeling across a universe, my burble of bubbles the only sound when I breathe out.” Devon Holzwarth’s gouache, colored pencil and collage illustrations transform various spreads into lush underwater habitats as the narrator peers through aquatic plants or dances alongside seahorses. Different hues define each world—the aquamarine pool, warm pink and orange starfish, and dark blue-green deep ocean.
Midway through, the narrator mentions his wheelchair: “Up above, I am a rock-star roller who sparkles and zooms and spins like a rocket ready to launch into space.” Art and prose continue this celebration of movement in a perfect continuum. “It’s a good chair,” the boy says. “It’s my other starfish limb and just as much a part of me as my toes.” Sumner, whose son has cerebral palsy, previously wrote the Roll With It middle grade series, which follows a girl who uses a wheelchair.
As he continues delighting in moving underwater, the narrator also notes: “Under here, I am fearless and brave, except when I’m not and lose my way in this topsy-turvy world.” The next spread features reassuring assistance from the child’s swim therapy coach. This moment of uncertainty followed by success will certainly speak to many young swimmers, especially nervous beginners.
Both the illustrations and the text are standouts, speaking directly to young readers, concluding, “Wherever I might be . . . there is something magical . . . about a fish like me.” A Fish Like Me is an empowering celebration of the magic of swimming and freedom of movement, a visual and literary treat in every way.
A glorious love letter to water, A Fish Like Me is the perfect encouragement for young swimmers. A boy plunges into a pool, pretending to be various creatures—a starfish, a catfish, a seahorse, a snail—while enjoying the ability to move underwater in different ways.
Jamie Sumner’s prose swirls in delightful twists and turns, sometimes curling across the page along with the narrator: “Under here, I am a starfish, cartwheeling across a universe, my burble of bubbles the only sound when I breathe out.” Devon Holzwarth’s gouache, colored pencil and collage illustrations transform various spreads into lush underwater habitats as the narrator peers through aquatic plants or dances alongside seahorses. Different hues define each world—the aquamarine pool, warm pink and orange starfish, and dark blue-green deep ocean.
Midway through, the narrator mentions his wheelchair: “Up above, I am a rock-star roller who sparkles and zooms and spins like a rocket ready to launch into space.” Art and prose continue this celebration of movement in a perfect continuum. “It’s a good chair,” the boy says. “It’s my other starfish limb and just as much a part of me as my toes.” Sumner, whose son has cerebral palsy, previously wrote the Roll With It middle grade series, which follows a girl who uses a wheelchair.
As he continues delighting in moving underwater, the narrator also notes: “Under here, I am fearless and brave, except when I’m not and lose my way in this topsy-turvy world.” The next spread features reassuring assistance from the child’s swim therapy coach. This moment of uncertainty followed by success will certainly speak to many young swimmers, especially nervous beginners.
Both the illustrations and the text are standouts, speaking directly to young readers, concluding, “Wherever I might be . . . there is something magical . . . about a fish like me.” A Fish Like Me is an empowering celebration of the magic of swimming and freedom of movement, a visual and literary treat in every way.