Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?

by Jane Godwin, Terry Denton (Illustrator)

‘Everybody is a genius.But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.’-- Albert Einstein (or not, as it turns out!)   So … can a fish climb a tree? Can a horse drive a car? Can a baby bake a cake?   And if they can’t, what wonderful things can they do?   From bestselling creators Jane Godwin and Terry Denton comes a quirky and inspiring book about celebrating who YOU are and the power and peace to be found in not trying to be anyone else.  

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

30 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2023

About the author

Jane Godwin is the Publisher, Books for Children and Young Adults, at Penguin Books Australia. She is also a highly acclaimed author of many books for children. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations. The Family Tree won the 2000 Queensland Premier's Award (Children's Books); Sebby, Stee, the Garbos and Me was shortlisted for the 1999 New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) and was a YABBA finalist; and The True Story of Mary was shortlisted for the 2006 CBCA Book of the Year Awards, Younger Readers. In 2009 her picture book with illustrator Anna Walker, Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, was a notable book in the CBCA Awards and was also shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Awards, Lower Primary division. Jane's most recent novel is Falling From Grace, and her most recent picture book is All Through the Year, illustrated by Anna Walker, due for publication in October 2010.

Jane lives in Melbourne with her family. Her hobbies seem to have fallen by the wayside a little since she has taken on the role of publisher, but from what she remembers, they were playing tennis, walking, reading (things other than manuscripts), doing cryptic crosswords, talking about the need to do gardening (and sometimes even doing it), cooking, playing piano, spending time with friends and mucking around with family which consists of partner Michael and two adolescents, Wil (19) and Lizzie (17). She still manages the cryptic crosswords, friends and family.

Jane also enjoys working creatively with school students, encouraging them to develop confidence in their own creativity, ideas and abilities.

Reviews

[Grace Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has lots of facts for kids and it was funny.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grapling Godwin #3
Children's Book of the Year Nominations #2
The answer to the above question is no.
The theme of the book is you can't do everything but you can be good at some things.
Be good at those things.
Do what is possible.
Aim for being the best at what you can do and stop trying to make people do what they can't do.
There is nothing wrong with can't in the right area.
A decent book with a good theme.

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Themes:
Animals
Funny
Facts

A quick read with fun illustrations. Read with my niece and she was entertained throughout. Learnt some basic facts about animals.

Thank you to the publisher Hardie Grant Kids for providing me a copy of this picture book to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun look at what animals can and can't do - from the ridiculous to the believable (and amazing). Denton's humorous illustrations capture the nonsense of the text adding lots of other small details for young children to examine closely.

Shortlisted for the 2024 Early Childhood category.

[Liz Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it and had some questions, but once I read the famous quote on the back of the book, I understood the premise.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this one for a classroom read aloud.