Author Dan Bar-el and illustrator Josée Bisaillon team up to tell an ambitious story about a tiny fish named Glub who has a big impact on the lives of those around him.

Glub spends his days swimming around his fish bowl on the counter of Foster’s diner, watching the customers and listening in on their conversations, trying to glean clues about who he is and where he comes from. Readers will chuckle over Glub’s guileless interpretations of what he overhears. (When Foster explains that the fish was left behind by a former tenant who lived above the diner, Glub’s response is: “Oh…. I come from the big guy upstairs. Whatsisname.”)

For a picture book, A Fish Named Glub packs in a lot of existential pondering. “You and me, fish, we’re kind of alike, huh?” remarks Foster halfway through the story. “People see us all the time, but they don’t know us.” When Foster’s mother (who is opposed to the fish’s presence in the diner) attempts to remove Glub from his bowl, his ability to magically show people their heart’s desire is revealed. Soon, people are coming face to face with unfulfilled dreams and vowing to make good on goals that have been lost along the way. On the final page, Glub’s own dream comes true, bringing with it the much longed for answers to his questions.

Bisaillon creates gorgeous mixed-media tapestries upon which Bar-el’s words dance. Her quirky and humorous images do a great job keeping the tone light and providing movement, despite the seriousness of the underlying themes. Some of the more philosophical notes may pass over the heads of young readers, but everyone will delight in the fanciful world Bisallion creates for Glub and the rest of the diner gang. This is a story that reinforces the comforting notion that you don’t have to be big to make a difference.