Buttfish (Hardcover, 2026)

A very unusual-looking fish has a journey of self-discovery in this hilarious and heartfelt picture book.

Buttfish's face looks like a bum. Everyone says so. Buttfish usually just tries to make the other fish laugh to keep them from making fun of him. But, tired of being the butt of every joke, he decides to try to find another part of the sea where he can make a fresh start. As Buttfish descends farther and farther below the surface, he sees many other strange-looking fish. He even meets one shaped like a wedge of cheese! These fish don't seem to mind how he looks. One even tells him he looks like a heart, which, he realizes, he does when he's turned upside-down! Maybe life can be good for Buttfish after all!

Pauline Pinson's lighthearted story is essentially about loving and even celebrating yourself just the way you are. With its laugh-out-loud humor, highly relatable and appealing characters and the repeated mention of bums, it's sure to be a hit at story time. Illustrator Magali Le Huche's adorable pink Buttfish along with her other multicolored deep-sea creatures will win the hearts of readers. This delightful book would work well for conversations on the value in differences and individuality, being true to yourself, having new experiences and looking at things from a new perspective. It supports social-emotional learning and character education lessons with themes of self-respect, feeling different and resilience.