A Million Fish...More or Less: A Creole Folktale

A Million Fish...More or Less by Patricia C. McKissack is about a young African American boy who is fishing along the Bayou Clapateaux. The young boy, Hugh, hears stories about how strange the bayou can be from Papa Daddy and Elder Abbajon. After Papa Daddy Elder Abbajon leave, Hugh catches a miilion fish, however the gators come along and he gives away half of his fish. Then again, as he is walking home he gets stopped by raccoons who cut his fish in half again. Once back in his neighborhood, Hugh gets duped again by a cat who only leaves him with three fish of the million he started out with.
  It is always said that the bayou is a strange place and throughout this story Hugh finds out just how strange it can be. This book also opens the door for students to begin exploring the Creole culture which believes in strange happenings, especially in the bayou.
   The language that McKissack uses in this book is relatively easy for all readers to read fluently while being transported to the bayou. She also uses personification throughout the book because all of the character, even the animals, talk.  The illustrator, Dena Schutzer, makes a great use of vivid colors and watercolor paints to create a whimsical and enchanting bayou that follows the story line.
  I enjoyed the personification in this story, specifically the raccoons whom talked and even dressed as humans according to the illustrations. I also really enjoyed the story itself, it almost seems as though it shows the origin of where fishermen learned to lie about their catch or over exaggerate.

Discussion Questions:
  • Could the events that happened to Hugh take place in real life? Explain your answer using the text. 
  • Have you ever gone fishing and come up with a tall tale about the fish you caught or didn't? How is that similar to Hugh's story?
Motivational Activities:
  • Recreate this story but use yourself and where you live to connect the story to your life. How are the stories different? How are they similar?
  • Create an alternate ending to the story and  explain why you chose that ending. 
References:
 
McKissack, P., & Schutzer, D. (2016). A million fish...more or less. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

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