written by by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat
40 pages, 3–7 years; published 2025 by Dial Book for Young Readers (Penguin Random House)
The sarcastic tone of this book is half its charm. I love that it begins by sharing non-fiction information about animals in a simplified and direct way. This makes the warnings about fish even more comical. Sharpson does a wonderful job of giving you reasons to doubt the integrity of fish while continuing to pepper facts about them throughout the story. Santat amps up the fun with realistic images to accompany the animal facts and humorous, exaggerated images for the accusations. In the end, readers will learn, and laugh, and wonder if crabs are really our true concern. Don’t Trust Fish is a picture book read-a-loud gem!