The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)

The Rainbow Fish is an award-winning children’s book drawn and written by Marcus Pfister, and translated into English by J. Alison James. The book is best known for its morals about the value of being an individual and for the distinctive shiny foil scales of the Rainbow Fish. Decode Entertainment turned the story into a 26-episode animated television series of the same name, which has aired on the HBO Family digital cable television channel in the United States since 2000.

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Reviews

Children’s Book Club of The Month

Iridescent pictures that sparkle like a rainbow illustrate this international award winner. Rainbow Fish thinks he has everything because he is beautiful, but he soon realizes that he’s very lonely. What must he do to make friends? Find out in this beautiful book about friendship and sharing. (Ages 4-6)

Amazon.com
If you read this very popular book just before bed, and the light is still on in the hallway, you can make the rainbow scales glitter on the page, and realize why the Rainbow Fish was so proud of his beautiful decoration. Sometimes, though, being too proud of outside beauty can blind a fish, or a child (or even, heaven forbid, a parent) to the beauty people hold inside. That’s the lesson of this simple tale, imported from Switzerland. It’s a useful one for future sneaker and designer clothing shoppers, for rainbow fish–and for quieter, plainer minnows, too.

From Publishers Weekly
Despite some jazzy special effects achieved with shimmery holographs, this cautionary tale about selfishness and vanity has trouble staying afloat. Rainbow Fish, “the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean,” refuses to share his prized iridescent scales–which, indeed, flash and sparkle like prisms as each page is turned. When his greed leaves him without friends or admirers, the lonely fish seeks advice from the wise octopus, who counsels him to give away his beauty and “discover how to be happy.” The translation from the original German text doesn’t enhance the story’s predictable plot, and lapses into somewhat vague descriptions: after sharing a single scale, “a rather peculiar feeling came over Rainbow Fish.” Deep purples, blues and greens bleed together in Pfister’s liquid watercolors; unfortunately, the watery effect is abruptly interrupted by a few stark white, text-only pages. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1– Children will be immediately drawn to this book that features an iridescent, metallic-looking main character whose “scales were every shade of blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales among them.” Adult suspicions of the gimmick overwhelming the story quickly fade as the plot unfolds: none of the other fish will have anything to do with the Rainbow Fish, who always swims by superciliously and refuses to give away any of his special garb. He is lonely and without admirers until a wise female octopus advises him to give away his scales. Rainbow Fish then discovers that sharing brings happiness and acceptance. The delicate watercolors of underwater scenes are a perfect foil to the glittering scales that eventually form a part of each fish’s exterior. This is certainly a story written to convey a message, but in its simplicity, it recalls the best of Lionni. Besides, what three-year-old doesn’t need reinforcement about sharing? –Ellen Fader, Westport Public Library, CT
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 1^-3. This board book presents a bare-bones version of the original picture book story: the vain, lonely Rainbow Fish relinquishes his pride and gives away almost all his special, shiny scales to gain friends. About half the original watercolor paintings appear here, reduced in size and cropped to fit the more compact format. Children too young to sit through the original story will enjoy this version, complete with those irresistible, iridescent fish scales. Carolyn Phelan –This text refers to the Board book edition.

Book Description
The Rainbow Fish is an international bestseller and a modern classic. Eye-catching foil stamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child-appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish, who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions, that gives the book its lasting value.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Card catalog description
The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship.

About the Author
Marcus Pfister is the creator of the internationally best-selling Rainbow Fish books, as well as the Hopper, Penguin Pete, and Milo series. His most recent books for North-South are The Magic Book and Just the Way You Are . He lives in Berne, Switzerland.

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