I NEED PANTS!

A sea dweller muses on the wonders of clothing.

Deep on the ocean floor, a golden fish definitively declares, “I need pants.” A wise octopus friend rebuffs the idea: “You do not have legs. You do not need pants.” So the fish considers other possibilities: “Then I need slippers—fuzzy bunny slippers to keep me warm at night.” Or “a pretty pink tutu. I cannot possibly do ballet without one.” The octopus says no to each option, with increasingly frenetic tentacle waving. “You do not have feet. You do not need slippers.” “Fish swim. They do not do ballet.” After the octopus rejects rainbow hair ribbons (“You know you don’t have hair, right?"), mittens (“You have fins, not hands”), diamond rings (“No fingers, no ring”), and even underwear, the exasperated fish cries: “Well, I must need a raincoat! It is very wet around here!!!” Sweet’s quick, staccato text could spark an intriguing discussion of wants versus needs and will encourage readers to embrace their own individual styles. The thickly lined undersea world is full of bright, saturated color, and the expressive protagonists are utterly endearing. Happily, the octopus comes around and even partakes in some fashionable fun.

A fin-tastic look at individuality.