Parents' Guide to

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

By Nancy Warren, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 2+

Classic Seuss; more illustration than animation.

Movie NR 2003 30 minutes
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

Bennyboohatch
Bennyboohatch Adult
April 8, 2020
age 3+

Good

Well, all books from m Dr. Seuss are great!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Several well-known Dr. Seuss stories are fashioned into short movies by adding a bit of animation to the original illustrations. The episodes are taken directly from Dr. Seuss stories. "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" is a series of vignettes that explore counting and rhyming. Diverse species such as "wumps," "nooks," and "ginks" make appearances. "Are You My Mother?" traces a character's search for its mother and introduces the idea of matching. The vignettes explore the theme of tolerance by presenting diverse beings who look, speak, and act differently.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

No one can beat Dr. Seuss for inventive rhyming, but the visuals are just close-ups of his original illustrations; this approach is perfect for young kids whose media exposure is limited. The slow pace follows the rhythm of being read to and could encourage them to pick up the books on their own. For more sophisticated preschoolers, the limited visuals here could mean attention spans won't hold up.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about animation. What is animation? Does moving around cut-outs of drawings qualify as animation? Or must the characters speak and move fluidly?

  • Talk about words. What are some silly words you like to say? Do you know how to rhyme?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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