The Rainbow Fish (Board Book) [Board book]

Marcus Pfister (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

The award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share is now available in a board book edition for the youngest child.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The hologram-hued hero of The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister will now glitter and shimmer in even younger hands, in a new board book edition. Also available in Spanish as El pez arco iris. (North-South, $9.95 ages 1-3 ISBN 1-55858-536-2, Spanish, -559-1, Mar.)
Copyright 1996 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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Board book: 6 pages
• Publisher: North-South / Night Sky Books (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558585362
• ISBN-13: 978-1558585362
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Fish > Fiction
  • #54 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Fish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A suggestion if the "message debate" has you on the fence..., December 2, 2002

By 

J. Hanselman "jbarbie23" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rainbow Fish (Board Book) (Board book)

If you have read through some of the controversy, and are on the fence about this book, I would suggest buying the full hardcover version rather than the board book edition. Having read both, I can more readily agree with the naysayers' point of view when applied to the board book. The text is simplified in such a way that makes it easy for a vigilant parent to misunderstand the message.

However, I found the hardcover book to be perfectly lovely. In this version, it was more clear that the reason the Rainbow Fish had no friends was because of his arrogant attitude and unwillingness to share - not because the other fish were envious, or needed to be "bought" with gifts. The sharing of his scales was not to "buy" friends or to promote communism - rather, it represented his learning three important lessons: 1) that his identity need not be tied into his appearance or his possessions, 2) that he shouldn't consider himself to be superior to the other fish just because their scales were a different color than his, and 3) that sharing your blessings with those around you makes you - and them - feel good.

I highly recommend this book, in its original version.

26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Horrible, Horrible Lesson, July 5, 2003

By 

C. Pilson (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rainbow Fish (Board Book) (Board book)

This book must be properly framed for a child, otherwise they will take away the lesson that fitting in is much more important than finding out what it is that makes us all different and unique. The book reads just fine up until the rainbow fish is told (mandated, nearly) to share with everyone the very thing that makes it unique - hence, to dillute itself and bend to the whims of others.

I would have preferred to see the authors take a harder line against this, but I suppose that it's fitting in this day and age to teach our children that fitting in is #1, and realizing what makes you different, or special, or unique, is secondary and expendible.

A real shame.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just awful!, September 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rainbow Fish (Board Book) (Board book)

The author depicts the beautiful Rainbow Fish as constantly and impolitely snubbing the other fish until they no longer want to play with him. Thus, he shares his scales with all the other fish so that he's no longer special and they all look alike. What?! This is not good.
The message should have been that however you look, you should be humble and kind to others, not that you should rid yourself of (or share) all that makes you special and unique. Rainbow Fish should have kept his gorgeous scales and learned some manners. This is a bizarre and disturbing book whose popularity baffles me.