Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale (Hardcover)

~ Marcus Pfister Herbert (Author), (Translator) "A long way out in the deep blue sea, Rainbow Fish and his friends swam happily through the reef..." (more)
Key Phrases: Rainbow Fish

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-The winsome and sensible fish who stole preschoolers' hearts in Rainbow Fish (1992) and Rainbow Fish to the Rescue (1995, both North-South) has returned. In this story, Rainbow Fish and his friends must share their food and their space with a gentle old whale who comes to their reef. The fish with the jagged scales complains that the blue whale is watching them, and soon everyone views the large mammal as an enemy. After a skirmish in which the whale scares all of the little fish into a cave, Rainbow Fish realizes that it is up to him to approach the larger animal and make peace. A heart-to-heart talk between the two reveals that the whale watched the fish only because he admired their beauty. Indeed, the holographic silver foil applied to the fins and scales of these expressive and colorfully illustrated fish is eye-catching. The glittering watercolor artwork of this book has the same child appeal of its popular predecessors. However, the story is thin, possessing more adjectives than action. Its moral theme of tolerance and communication, while admirable, can be found in at least a dozen better books. This one is for those already enamored of Rainbow Fish. It is not likely to win new fans.
Jackie Hechtkopf, Talent House School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 3^-5. Rainbow Fish and his friends enjoy eating the krill, or tiny shrimp, that populate the ocean floor. When a big whale comes into the area, he starts eating krill, too. Soon the fish worry that he'll eat them, and they hide when he's around. The hurt whale pretends that is just what he's going to do, but in the end, Rainbow Fish and the whale have a laugh over the misunderstanding, and everything works out fine--except for the krill, of course. The message--don't make assumptions about creatures that are different--is slightly garbled, and the story itself bland. But the pictures are as shiny as ever, which is the main attraction, anyway. The artwork overall is quite winning. The double-page spreads drenched in underwater blues, greens, and lavenders are a nice, eye-catching size, making this a good choice for story hours. Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: North-South Books; illustrated edition edition (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735810095
• ISBN-13: 978-0735810099
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #413,338 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lots of lessons taught, August 13, 2002

By	Huge Enterprises (Amherst, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale (Board book)

I love this story. ... I think it teaches lots of lessons. For example, it teaches how it is wrong to make snap judgements about others. It also teaches how to work out differences, and meet with people that are different.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Same moral, different story, August 12, 2005

By	Morgan's Mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale (Hardcover)

For the third time in as many books, Marcus Pfister passes along the lesson "Be nice to others." That was the moral of the story in The Rainbow Fish; it was also the moral in Rainbow Fish to the Rescue. Why Mr. Pfister felt it necessary to bludgeon the reader over the head with it yet again in Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale is truly beyond me. It wouldn't really bother me - after all, there's nothing wrong with reminding children as well as adults that it's good to be nice - except the writing itself in Big Blue Whale is so poor. As in Rainbow Fish to the Rescue, Big Blue Whale feels rushed and slipshod, as if the author threw together any old story in order to make a deadline. Even a simple, predictable and cliched story can still be well-written and enjoyable; unfortunately, Big Blue Whale is all of the former and neither of the latter. Save your money and stick to the original Rainbow Fish.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big and Little Need to Cooperate to Prosper!, July 22, 2001

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale is the third in the Rainbow Fish series. In the first book, Rainbow Fish has to learn to share his glittering scales in order to be accepted. In the second book, Rainbow Fish to the Rescue, Rainbow Fish learns to help those in need, even if they are different. Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale builds on the theme of Rainbow Fish to the Rescue . . . except by exploring differences on a larger scale. The book features the same beautiful illustrations and glittering highlights that made the first two books so much fun to look at.

Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale is based on a misunderstanding. The fish and the whale are both attracted by the krill (small shrimp-like creatures) that live near the reef. The whale also enjoys seeing the sparkling highlights on the fish. One of the fish develops a fear of the whale. When the whale comes close one day, the jagged fin fish says, "Look out! . . . The wicked whale is after us!"

The whale's feelings are hurt, and the whale becomes angry. The whale chases the fish into a cavern and waves its tail so violently that the krill are dispersed. Soon, whale and fish are hungry.

Rainbow fish overcomes his fear. "We must make peace with the whale." "Please let's talk." "This fight was all a big mistake. It drove off the krill and now we're all hungry."

The whale makes peace. "Come now! said the whale." "Let's find new hunting grounds." "And before long, none of them could remember what the terrible fight had been about."

The story is a good one to read to both older and younger siblings. For the older ones, it shows the importance of not being threatening. For the younger ones, the lesson is to assume that size does not mean menace . . . even when it feels intimidating. For both children, the book explores that words can hurt, and have unpleasant consequences. The benefits of being considerate and sharing are also displayed. For me, this book contained all of the best elements of the first two books while reminding the reader of them by the visual cues of shared sparkles on all but the striped fish.

Children who are afraid of anger will probably want to avoid this book, although most should be fine with it by the recommended ages of 5 and higher. I suspect that most 4 year olds would love it.

Where else do large and small have to cooperate? You might want to share those examples with your child in order to create a more complementary view of how the world can work.

Seek ways to build strengths from differences!