Big Dreams, Little Fish, written and illustrated by Paula Cohen. Levine Querido, Raincoast. 2022. $23.99 ages 5 and up

"She had LOTS 
of big ideas. 

How to make things faster,
prettier, 
and more modern. 

But first of all, nothing sold gefilte fish." 

Shirley loves her family's new store in a brand-new neighborhood. They all work together to make their customers happy. Shirley is concerned when no one buys their gefilte fish. The terrible thing is that they won't even try it. Shirley has ideas for changing that, and other ideas, too. It doesn't matter ... the gefilte fish does not sell. 

The family is concerned that Shirley is too young to be working in the store. Things change when Aunt Ida goes to hospital to have her baby. Everyone rushes off; not before leaving Shirley to help Mrs. Gottlieb run the store. It's the perfect opportunity for Shirley to prove herself. 

While Mrs. Gottlieb sleeps, Shirley gets down to work: straightening, decorating, modernizing, and advertising. She works the till, fills customers' orders and adds a small surprise to every bag. 

"Buy anything and get a surprise!"

The neighbors are surprised, and so are Shirley's parents when they arrive home to find all of the gefilte fish GONE! Shirley admits to giving it away and is sent to her room. When the store opens the next morning, the lineup is long. Everyone is waiting to purchase the store speciality. 

Digitally colored images with strong black outlines bring this Jewish family's story to light for young readers. Nostalgic and endearing, they will love this story of a young girl and her determination to prove her worth in the family business. Back matter includes a glossary of Yiddish words, information about gefilte fish, and a family recipe for it.  

This wonderful debut picture was released on March 1, five days after Paula Cohen's sudden death on February 24. She was 57. Her husband, Paul Martin, shared this in a tribute: 

“Big Dreams, Small Fish was truly a labor of love for Paula,” he wrote. “The main character, Shirley, is named for her beloved mom, whose parents owned a store not unlike the one depicted in her book. It is such a comfort that Paula was able to realize her dream of being an author."