The Rainbow Fish (Board Book) (Board book)

~ Marcus Pfister Herbert (Author) "The Rainbow Fish was the most beautiful fish in the sea..." (more)
Key Phrases: Rainbow Fish

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Board book: 6 pages
• Publisher: NorthSouth (January 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558585362
• ISBN-13: 978-1558585362
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (212 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,705 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 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)

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.

27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book fell below my expectations....., October 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rainbow Fish (Hardcover)

I had heard alot about the famous rainbow fish books and when I saw the 10th anniversary book out, I decided to buy it for my 2 year old. I happily sat down with her at bedtime to read her the story and I finished the book feeling not so happy about the book.
The rainbow fish is aesthetically, a very pleasing book, with it's beautiful many hued fish and the shimmery shiny scales, but all the visual effects do not make for the rather unpleasant story line. Sharing is one thing, but when you have to give away the one thing that makes you unique in order to cultivate friends suggests that the only way friendship can be had is through purchase. The little fish asks a second time for a scale, even though he was refused the first time after which he alienated all the other fish from rainbow fish. What does the story say about small (minded, greedy) people who want what another has and when they don't get it they go around poisoning everyones' minds against the person? This story left a bad taste and I returned the book the very next day.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mediocrity for the young reader, August 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rainbow Fish (Hardcover)

This is by far the worst book in my children's home library. It is replete with destructive, anti-individuality themes centering around the story of a beautiful fish which is coerced by mobs of begging, greedy, mediocre fish and an ominous octopus into tearing off its body parts (scales) to appease its peers. It is absolutely disgusting. While many reviewers like the theme of "sharing" in this story, the reality is that for an extremely young audience, the analogy is completely inappropriate. Even a very small child knows that scales are necessary for a fish and part of its body. How many adulating reviews would there be if the protagonist were a child asked to mutilate himself by giving up his skin to win "friends"? Even putting aside this disturbing analogy in this story, the "lesson" of this story really is twofold: first, "friends" are friendly if they are bought, and second, one must never have more than anyone else or by extension, try to work harder or excell beyond one's peers. Blend in, be part of the crowd, another sheep. I would encourage parents to avoid this garbage. The true nature of this book's philosophy is accurately portrayed in Vonnegut's short story, "Harrison Bergeron" which I highly reccomend.