This is a poem that heals fish by Jean-Pierre Siméon illustrated by Olivier Tallec translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick

Arthur thinks something is wrong with his fish. Is he bored or is he about to die. Mum suggests the fish needs a poem! But where can Arthur find a poem? And what is a poem? First he looks in the kitchen but all he finds are noodles. He checks out the cleaning supplies but the saggy rag who is always damp and cold reples "no boem 'ere". Perhaps Lolo who works at the bike shop can help. 

"A poem, Arthur, is when you are in love and have the sky in your mouth."

Old Mahmoud is working in his garden watering his rhododendrons. 

"A poem is when you hear the heartbeat of a stone."

His canary Aristophanes says:

"A poem is when words beat their wings. It is a song sung in a cage."

Arthur also asks his grandmother and his grandfather and then he takes all the ideas he has gathered and explains them to his fish. Have you guessed - the words he has gathered form a wonderful poem.

— I’m sorry, Leon, I have not found a poem. All I know is this:

A poem

is when you have the sky in your mouth.

It is hot like fresh bread,

when you eat it,

a little is always left over.

A poem

is when you hear

the heartbeat of a stone,

when words beat their wings.

It is a song sung in a cage.

A poem

is words turned upside down

and suddenly!

the world is new.

Imaginative fauvist illustrations capture the fanciful, free mood of the text as well as the essence of a poem, which indeed can “turn words around, upside down, and—suddenly!—the world is new.” An enchantingly abstract invitation to ponder poetry. Kirkus

Every once in a while, you stumble upon something so lovely, so unpretentiously beautiful and quietly profound, that you feel like the lungs of your soul have been pumped with a mighty gasp of Alpine air. The Marginalian

Olivier Tallec’s work has been called “sensitive”, “stunning”, “breathtaking”, and “beautiful.” Tallec was born in Brittany, France, in 1970. After graduating from the École Supérieure D’arts Graphiques in Paris, he worked in advertising as a graphic designer, after which he devoted himself to illustration. Since then he has illustrated more than sixty books ... Enchanted Lion

Here are some companion reads:

Daniel finds a Poem (check out the comment by the author!)

Stanza

This is a poem that heals fish was published in English in 2007. I wonder how it came to be in my local book store? Very kindly the shop owner gifted this book to me. Very luckily, for you, I see it is still in print. But I am so sad to report my local independent bookshop has decided to close at the end of June. The wonderful owner has been a fabulous source of advance reader copies of books and also a terrific reading companion. I will miss their store, their books and most especially those early copies of books that are about to be released. 

Researching the topic of picture books that feature young poets learning to write poetry I found these and so I have added them to my enormous "to read" list:

Kirkus Star review (Sadly here in Australia this book costs over AUS$40)