Why We Chose This Book: The Fish of Small Wishes

The Fish of Small Wishes book cover

At first glance, The Fish of Small Wishes, by Elana K. Arnold, might not seem like a typical PJ Library book. Hebrew words and references to Jewish holidays or historic Jewish events are strikingly absent. In her endnote, Arnold shares that the story is inspired by her great-great-grandfather, who once stored a fish in his bathtub, intending to make gefilte fish. Yet even this familiar Jewish trope doesn’t automatically convert this into a traditional Jewish book. It’s the story’s rich, underlying Jewish values (combined with an endearing, satisfying plot) that prompted the Book Selection Committee to share this modern folktale with families.

When shy Kiki Karpovich finds a fish stranded on the sidewalk, she saves it by placing it in her bathtub, embodying the Jewish value of tza’ar ba’alei chayim—preventing the suffering of living creatures. The fish offers to grant Kiki a wish, but all her wishes, such as overcoming her shyness and making friends, are too big. This is a fish of small wishes.

As the fish outgrows the bathtub, Kiki surmounts her shyness and asks her neighbors for help. Together, they build a fishpond, illustrating the Jewish values kehilla, Hebrew for community and teamwork. As Kiki embraces her newfound friends, the book reveals how chesed, kindness, and ometz lev, courage, have enabled Kiki to fulfill her desires. With Magdalena Mora’s beautiful illustrations and its subtle, yet powerful, Jewish themes, The Fish of Small Wishes seems like a perfect PJ Library book, guaranteed to inspire meaningful conversations about Jewish values.

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The Carp in the Bathtub book cover

The Carp in the Bathtub

by Barbara Cohen

This classic story takes readers back to a time when families made gefilte fish from scratch -- and tender-hearted kids got attached to the ingredients.