International Book Review

 Do Fish Sleep?

1. Bibliography

Raschke, J. 2017. DO FISH SLEEP?. Ill. by Jens Rassmus. Verlang, Germany: Mixvision. ISBN 9781592702855. 

2. Plot Summary

Jette, Emil, Dad and Mom live in an apartment building. At the young age of ten years old, Jette experienced the loss of her young brother Emil. She tries to make sense of what death is by asking her dad and playing the dead game with her brother. In her culture it is very common for adults to be truthful about the process of death. Her uncle Jonas explains the graveyard and gravestone. From her dad she hears the process of death. Even her teacher tries to explain to the students the feelings associated with death. Jette asks many questions about death because she foresees the death of her brother. After his death, the family struggles to cope, but eventually they comfort each other and Jettes finds comfort knowing that her brother is now resting. 

3. Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

DO FISH SLEEP? is an international story based in Germany and depicts some cultural makers from Germany. Because Jette is a very curious child and is confronted with the death of her young brother, she wants to know exactly what death is. This causes all the adults around her to be very open with the concept of death. In her culture it is normal for adults to be very explicit with the details about death. Another culture marker is the interaction with other characters from different countries. For example, when Emil is in the hospital they interact with Selim, who is from Turkey.  During these interactions they are able to learn some of the customs dealing with death and weather from that country. Selim explains that in his country the dead are wrapped in a white cloth and then placed in the earth without a coffin. Both Jette and Emil enjoy hearing the stories and customs of Selim’s country. 

Some of the language that is used in the story is another culture maker from Germany. For example, in the story they use the word courtyard to explain the back of their apartment building. 

Because the setting of the story is vague, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where the story takes place. The author does explain that the characters live in an apartment building, but does not give a clear city or country. 

The author uses simple illustrations of the characters and uses monotone colors of blue, black and white. The characters are simple illustrations depicted in white tones with greenish tones. The author uses these colors to explain the mood of the story, which is the feeling of sorrow and struggle with the concept of death. 

It is important to mention that this story started as a play in Germany and was translated in English by Belinda Cooper. 

4. Review Excerpts

Mulheimer Children’s Theater Prize 

2014 MDR Children’s Radio Play Prize 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award 2020

Publishers Weekly: “This heartrending story by German writer Raschke is narrated by 10-year-old Jette, who describes the death of her terminally ill six-year-old brother Emil in unvarnished prose (“He lay there completely still. And pale, like yogurt”). Her parents are too devastated to offer much comfort. Earlier on, when Emil wasn’t as ill and they were on vacation, Jette asked her father whether fish could sleep”.

5. Connections

Teachers and librarians are able to use this book to teach story elements, which include characters, setting, problem and resolution. Teachers and librarians can also use the book to make inferences and real life connections.