ANNOTATION

A boy, his father, and an increasing number of people rush through the streets of San Francisco's historic Filipino American neighborhood, Manilatown, in pursuit of a fish that can talk and jump and play.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Can a fish talk? Can it jump and play and run — especially run — just like a small boy? When Lakas and his dad go shopping, they meet a very special fish that can do all these things and more! But this fish won't stay put in its fish tank. Once it leaps out, a cast of unusual Manilatown characters chases it down Kearny Street and all the way to San Francisco Bay. Hoy, hoy! Will Lakas and his friends ever catch this sly and charming fish? Lakas and the Manilatown Fish/Si Lakas at ang Isdang Manilatown is the first-ever bilingual English-Tagalog story set in the U.S., reflecting the historical heart of the Filipino community.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

The jacket claims that this is the "first-ever bilingual English-Tagalog story set in the U.S. . . ." This Filipino story is a strange one. A young boy learns from an old man that there is a fish that laughs and talks in both English and Tagalog, and that it can be found in Manilatown. While this part of the story appears to be a bit of weird dream, Lakas goes to the barbershop to get a haircut (he doesn't look any different) and learns that some of the old men do believe in this fish. Off they go to the fish market. Lakas shudders at the thought of eating a talking fish. Suddenly this magical creature escapes and heads for Manilatown. It seems to be a kissing fish and it even steals a bus and a man gives the fish his clothes and false teeth. The fisherman, Lakas, his father and the old man all end up in the water, but are rescued by this magical fish. It all ends happily, but seems to make no real sense. It may draw on Filipino traditions that just don't come across to readers. The illustrations are bold and garish. They seem to fit the unusual story, but only the fish seems to have a real personality. The people seem to be caricatures. For libraries that may be serving a Filipino population or want to expand multi-cultural offerings. 2003, Children's Book Press, Ages 5 to 8.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-A Filipino boy has a dream about a fish that can talk and jump and play. The next morning, Lakas looks into a tank at the Happy Fish Market in Manilatown and is soon eye to eye with a talking fish. Just as the shop owner tries to catch him, the fish leaps out of the water, kisses the man, and runs away. Lakas, his father, and the Happy Fish man (who has fallen "dizzy in love") run after the creature. So begins a merry chase through the streets of San Francisco, with each of the fish's kisses adding another besotted character to the cast. The fun lasts all the way to the bay, where the fish pulls his pursuers from the water after they follow him in. The last page shows the boy and his new friend sharing a bath. The colorful, full-page illustrations accentuate the excitement and provide a focus for this lengthy tale. The book begins with an introduction for adults and ends with a brief history of Filipinos in San Francisco. The tale is told in Tagalog on the left page and English on the right, so events in the story aren't always exactly matched to those depicted in the art. This layout is confusing and makes the pages incredibly text heavy. Still, there are some fun moments, and libraries that serve Filipino communities will want this title.-Tali Balas, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.