10/5/09

The Rainbow Fish

Author: Marcus Pfister, translated by J. Alison James

Illustrator: Marcus Pfister

Publisher: North-South Books

Publication Date: January 1999

Genre: Picture Book, Fantasy Fiction

Grades: Gr. Pre-K - 3

Overview: The Rainbow Fish is a great story about selfishness and greediness. It is a story about a fish that had rainbow scales that were so beautiful that all the other fish were in awe. However, the Rainbow Fish was aware of the fact that he was so much different from the other fish, and loved his beautiful scales. He had so much pride in them, that it turned into cockiness and made him lose all of his friends. With the help of the wise octopus, he realized that the only way to get his friends back was to be more down-to-earth about his scales and share them with all his friends. Finally, he realizes that he only has one of his rainbow scales left, but is happier than ever before he realized the importance of sharing and being friendly. Great illustrations, full of detail and color.

Activity: Using colored construction paper, have each child make their own special scale.

Reviewer’s Name: Sarah Garretson