Bibliography:
Pfister, Marcus. (1992). The Rainbow Fish. New York: North-South. ISBN: 1558580093
Summary:
In the ocean lived a fish who was very beautiful with shiny scales. He knew how beautiful he was and loved to swim around being adored and complimented. The other fish called him the Rainbow Fish. One day a small fish asked the Rainbow Fish if he could have one of Rainbow Fish's brilliant scales. The Rainbow Fish denied him without even considering the plea. The small fish then went and told his friends about the Rainbow Fish's rejection, and they all decided to ignore the Rainbow Fish. Having no one to admire him and compliment him, the Rainbow Fish realized he was not happy, and goes around asking for advice. A wise octopus encourages him to give away his shiny scales to be happy before disappearing in a fog of ink. The Rainbow Fish decides to listen to the octopus and gives away all his scales, only keeping one for himself. Doing this, he finds happiness and friends.
Impressions:
I have a very mixed feeling about this book. While I like the artwork very much, the moral is questionable. I understand that the Rainbow Fish became a better fish in the end, by losing his vanity and learning the joy of giving. He goes from thinking about only himself, to thinking about others. But what bothers me is the fact that it seems he has to buy his friends by giving away his scales. On one hand, the Rainbow Fish shouldn't have been so conceited about his own beauty. But on the other hand, the other fish should have wanted to be friends with the Rainbow Fish without needing a shiny scale from him first, especially after the Rainbow Fish had started to reach out to the others. But all in all, the book is very cute, and I think too much thought shouldn't be put into it since the book is targeted towards young toddlers, teaching that happiness and friendship come from sharing what you possess.
Reviews:
Publisher's Weekly: "Despite some jazzy special effects achieved with shimmery holographs, this cautionary tale about selfishness and vanity has trouble staying afloat... 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."
James, Alison J. (1999, Jan 25). Children's Review [Review of the book The Rainbow Fish]. Publisher's Weekly. Available from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-55858-009-1
"Children will be immediately drawn to this book that features an iridescent, metallic-looking main character...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?"
Fader, Ellen. (n.d.). The Rainbow Fish. [Review of the book The Rainbow Fish]. School Library Journal. Available from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rainbow-fish-marcus-pfister/1100058470?ean=9781558580091&itm=3&usri=the%2brainbow%2bfish#EditorialReviews
Suggestions For Use:
This book would be perfect for a storytime. After reading the story, the children could all be given pictures of the Rainbow Fish to color along with a small container of shiny scales that can be glued on to the pictures. The children should be encouraged to take some and share and trade with other children until all the children have a couple of scales that can be used on their picture. After the pictures are complete, the children could be encouraged to go around complimenting other children's work as well as showing their own work to their new friends they hopefully made in this activity.
