A Fish Tale

By Naperville Magazine
February 2026 View more Books

By Jeff Banowetz

Although Stephen Jansen earned a college degree in creative writing, his career took a different direction. But the retired financial planner always enjoyed writing and had previously put together a collection of short stories. However, it was his 3-year-old grandson who inspired his latest literary project.

The two of them enjoyed watching the fish in his home aquarium, and they noticed something peculiar. “I have this very unusual catfish who just wasn’t satisfied scouring the bottom of the tank,” Jansen says. “He loved to swim with all the other fish, and you don’t usually see a catfish swim around the tank with all his friends. I thought there’s a story there.”

The Naperville resident turned his story into a children’s book, Clark the Catfish Fish, which is filled with pictures that Jansen took of his real-life Clark. The self-published book is now available at Naperville’s Learning Express Toys & Gifts as well as in the Naperville Public Library’s collection. “I really wrote this book for my grandson, but I’m so excited that it’s taken on a life of its own,” Jansen says. “I’m just over the moon.”

While the book tells a fictional story about Clark, it also aims to provide some education about the natural world. “It gives a detailed description of all the different species of fish, their tendencies and their personalities,” Jansen says. “Once kids discover something, they’re insatiable for knowledge—but it’s also just a fun fish tale.”

Photos: Stephen H. Jansen