A Fishboy Named...Sashimi by Dan Santat: Review

Welcome to my review of A Fishboy Named…Sashimi by Dan Santat! I love graphic novels, and I’m always in awe of creatives who can both write and illustrate their own graphic novels.

Title: A Fishboy Named…Sashimi
Author: Dan Santat
Genre: Children’s Graphic Novel
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pub Date: 04/14/2026

A Fishboy Named…Sashimi Description

He’s funny. He’s (too) friendly. He’s… a fishboy named SASHIMI!

A new graphic novel series from bestseller and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat.

In the town of Barnacle Bay, a creature lurks. He’s come from the ocean, in search of others like him.

To fit in with humans, Sashimi sneaks into an elementary school and pretends to be a student. But he’s clearly a fish out of water!

When Sashimi finds out the whole town is on the hunt for the Beast of Barnacle Bay—a creature who sounds a lot like Sashimi—hijinks ensue! Fortunately, with the help of a new friend and the class goldfish, Sashimi figures out a way to stay afloat.

Perfect for fans of Bad Guys, Sharkdog, and The Investigator series!

Review

A Fishboy Named…Sashimi was such a fun graphic novel! Getting to hear Dan talk about the book during the MCPG Happy Hour already made me think it was going to be delightful, but I couldn’t prepare for how outrageous and entertaining it was. I loved the art style and all of the little details that went into the background of the panels. The educational bits were also such a humorous addition.

The story itself made me root for Sashimi to find someone like him. Although the novel isn’t long, there were a good amount of surprises, and I liked seeing the ups and downs of Sashimi making friends and pretending to be a real boy. I cannot wait for the next book to release because I need more shenanigans and adventures in this world.

*Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy. All opinions are my own.*

Author

Dan Santat is a children’s book writer, a commercial illustrator, and the creator of Disney’s animated hit, The Replacements. He lives in California with his wife, two kids, a rabbit, a bird, and a cat.