Day one, I swam around. Day two, I swam around. If you’ve ever read Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian, you know that’s how it starts. It’s a bit of a joke, honestly. People think fish are boring. They think their brains are basically just mush that resets every three seconds. But this book, illustrated with that distinct, expressive style by Tim Bowers, actually hits on something much deeper than a pet's bowl. It’s about how we handle our space and the people—or bubble-blowing divers—who suddenly start taking up room in it.
It's kind of funny how a children's book about a fish named Ian can mirror the feeling of a cramped apartment or a busy office. We all start with our own little bowl. We have our routine. Then, life starts dropping things in. A plant here. A snail there. Suddenly, you're looking for an exit.
What Memoirs of a Goldfish Actually Teaches Us About Change
Most people see this as just a story for kids to learn about pets. It isn't. Not really. When you look at the progression of Ian’s diary entries, you see a classic psychological arc of resistance to change. Scillian, who is actually an Emmy-winning news anchor in Detroit when he’s not writing about goldfish, has this knack for capturing voice. Ian is grumpy. He’s territorial.
When "Lola" the snail arrives, he’s not happy. He doesn't want to share his "pristine" water. You’ve probably felt that way when a new person joins your team at work or when a roommate moves their ugly couch into the living room. It’s that "this is my space" instinct.
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The book works because it doesn't lecture. It just shows a fish getting increasingly annoyed as his world gets crowded with a Guppy named Fred and a massive crab. It’s a mess. But then, the bowl breaks. Or rather, the bowl is removed. That moment when Ian is scooped out and put into a big, beautiful tank is the turning point. He realizes the bowl wasn't a kingdom; it was a cage.
Why the "Three-Second Memory" Myth is Total Nonsense
We can’t talk about Memoirs of a Goldfish without addressing the elephant in the room. Or the fish in the bowl.
Everyone says goldfish have a three-second memory. It’s a lie. Scientists at the University of Oxford and other researchers have proven that goldfish can remember things for months. They can even learn to navigate mazes and recognize their owners' faces. Ian’s diary entries might be fictional, but the idea of a fish having a continuous experience of its life isn't scientifically inaccurate.
Culum Brown, a professor at Macquarie University, has spent years studying fish intelligence. He’s found that fish are actually quite sophisticated. They have social lives. They feel stress. When Ian is stuck in that small bowl with a "bubbling diver" that does nothing but blow bubbles, that’s a real representation of poor animal husbandry.
The Visual Storytelling of Tim Bowers
The art matters. A lot. Tim Bowers gives Ian these massive, expressive eyes that communicate more than the text does. If the art was realistic, the book would be boring. But Ian looks like he’s actually judging you.
Look at the page where the crab arrives. The spacing is cramped. The colors are vibrant but feel overwhelming. This is intentional. It’s meant to make the reader feel the claustrophobia that Ian is experiencing. Then, the shift to the final tank—the "big water"—uses wide-angle perspectives. It’s a breath of fresh air, even underwater.
Is It a Good Tool for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)?
Teachers love this book for a reason. It’s a "mentor text."
- It teaches point of view.
- It introduces the concept of a diary or journal.
- It helps kids talk about feelings of being overwhelmed.
Honestly, though? It’s also just a great example of how to write concisely. Scillian doesn’t use big words. He uses the right words. "Meryn" the guppy isn't just a fish; she's an intruder until she becomes a friend. That transition is handled in just a few sentences. That's hard to do.
The Reality of Goldfish Care (Beyond the Book)
Here is where we have to get a little serious. While Memoirs of a Goldfish ends happily in a large, filtered tank, the "goldfish bowl" trope is actually kind of a nightmare for real fish.
If you’re reading this because you’re thinking of getting a fish like Ian, don't buy a bowl. Just don't. Goldfish produce a massive amount of waste (ammonia). In a small bowl without a filter, they basically swim in their own filth until their gills burn. Ian’s frustration in the book is actually a pretty mild version of what a real fish goes through in a bowl.
To keep a "Memoirs-style" goldfish healthy, you actually need:
- At least 20 gallons of water for a single fancy goldfish.
- A high-quality filtration system.
- Regular water changes (25% every week).
- Real or silk plants (plastic ones can tear their fins).
Ian was lucky he got upgraded to that big tank. Most real-life "Ians" don't get that lucky break.
Why We Keep Coming Back to Ian’s Diary
There’s something incredibly relatable about a narrator who thinks they have everything figured out, only to realize they were living in a tiny bubble. Ian's journey from a solo inhabitant to a member of a community is a universal story. We all start out as the center of our own universe.
Growing up is basically just realizing your "bowl" is getting bigger and you have to learn to live with the snails and the guppies of the world.
If you’re looking to use this book in a classroom or just read it to your kids, pay attention to the dates. The diary format is a great way to show the passage of time. It’s also a subtle way to teach kids that even if today feels crowded and annoying, things can change by "Day Fourteen."
How to Apply the "Goldfish Mindset" to Your Life
Maybe we should all keep a diary like Ian. Not a long, flowery one. Just a "Day One: Everything is fine. Day Two: Someone put a plastic diver in my office" kind of thing. It helps you see the patterns.
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You’ll start to notice when you’re being a bit of a hermit. You’ll see when your environment is actually the problem, not the people in it. Ian wasn't mad at Fred the guppy because Fred was mean; he was mad because there wasn't enough oxygen for both of them.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Ian or improve your own "tank," here’s what to do:
- Check out the sequels: Scillian wrote Memoirs of a Hamster, Memoirs of a Parrot, and Memoirs of a Tortoise. They all follow the same diary format and explore different personality types. The hamster one is particularly funny because it deals with the "illusion of freedom" in a wheel.
- Start a "Micro-Journal": Try writing a single-sentence diary entry every day for a week. Don't overthink it. Just record one thing that "moved into your bowl" that day.
- Audit your "Bowl": Look at your current environment. Are you feeling "Ian-level" cranky? It might be because your space is cluttered or you've outgrown your current situation. Identify one "plastic diver" (a useless distraction) you can remove from your daily routine to give yourself more room to swim.