Barry the Fish With Fingers

•Author and Illustrator: Sue Hendra

Setting	The deep blue sea.
Plot	All of the fish in the sea become very bored, including the sea slug that just sits on the ocean floor. Then along comes Barry, a fish that has fingers! He entertains with finger puppets, he knits, finger-paints, pays the piano and tickles the other fish. And if that was not enough, Barry’s fingers come in handy when a dangerous situation develops.
Illustrations, Writing Style	Bright, colorful paintings with big-eyed, happy looking fish make this a visual treat. The writing is funny with a dry sense of humor. This makes it fun for kids and adults.
Theme(s)	Acceptance of those with differences.
Characterizations	Barry could represent a person with any sort of abnormality and this tale would be a good vehicle to talk about acceptance of differences.
Programming Connections	Fish, acceptance of differences.
Personal Response	I like the fact that no one even tries to offer an explanation of why Barry has fingers. He just has finger and everyone accepts that fact. Before long, the other fish want fingers, too. They carry signs along the ocean floor saying, “Fish need fingers”, “Fingers are fun” and other supportive statements. A super-fun, book!