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Rainbow Fish
Rainbow Fish to the Rescue!
The second book in the New York Times bestselling Rainbow Fish series.
In this exciting adventure, Rainbow Fish is torn between his newfound friends and a lonely striped fish who is not allowed to join the group because he lacks a shiny scale. When a dangerous and hungry shark suddenly appears, Rainbow Fish must Should he risk losing his new friends - maybe even his life - for the little stranger?
In this exciting adventure, Rainbow Fish is torn between his newfound friends and a lonely striped fish who is not allowed to join the group because he lacks a shiny scale. When a dangerous and hungry shark suddenly appears, Rainbow Fish must Should he risk losing his new friends - maybe even his life - for the little stranger?
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
14 people are currently reading
693 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Pfister
523 books179 followersMarcus Pfister was born in Berne, Switzerland, and began his career as a graphic artist in an advertising agency. In 1983, he decided to dedicate more time to artistic pursuits, and began to write and illustrate his first book, The Sleepy Owl, which was published in 1986. His best-known work to date is The Rainbow Fish, which has remained on bestseller lists across the United States since 1992.
Marcus does most of his illustrations for children's books in watercolors. He begins each book by stretching watercolor paper over a wooden board so that it won't warp when wet. He then copies his rough sketches onto the paper in pencil. At this point, he is ready to begin painting. For backgrounds and blended contours, he uses wet paint on wet paper to get a softer effect. For sharper details, he first lets the paper dry, then paints the final picture layer by layer. When the illustration is complete he cuts the paper from the wooden board.
For books that feature holographic foil stamping, he then tapes a piece of transparent film over the art and indicates with a black marker where the foil stamping should be. The foil stamping is then applied during the production process after the pages are printed and before the final binding.
Marcus and his wife, Kathryn, work together in Berne, where they live with their three children.
Marcus does most of his illustrations for children's books in watercolors. He begins each book by stretching watercolor paper over a wooden board so that it won't warp when wet. He then copies his rough sketches onto the paper in pencil. At this point, he is ready to begin painting. For backgrounds and blended contours, he uses wet paint on wet paper to get a softer effect. For sharper details, he first lets the paper dry, then paints the final picture layer by layer. When the illustration is complete he cuts the paper from the wooden board.
For books that feature holographic foil stamping, he then tapes a piece of transparent film over the art and indicates with a black marker where the foil stamping should be. The foil stamping is then applied during the production process after the pages are printed and before the final binding.
Marcus and his wife, Kathryn, work together in Berne, where they live with their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
September 30, 2022
The second book about the Rainbow Fish is as ambiguous as the first, maybe even more so.
The story is that of the swarm now having grown into a tight-knit community after Rainbow Fish has given away all but one of his brilliant scales.
One day, a new fish arrives after having lost his own swarm. He wants to be friends with Rainbow Fish and the others, but they are less than welcoming.
Rainbow Fish sees this, but does nothing at first because he fears he‘ll lose his new-found friends again. A bigger threat is necessary to make Rainbow Fish speak up and the swarm to accept their newest member.
Therefore, this book is about integration and being open when new people arrive. It does it relatively well considering the young target audience. Nevertheless, it felt weird.
Once upon a time, as mentioned in my review of the first book, I had loved these stories (yes, both). Nowadays, I have a different view of them. While the first one is more questionable than this one, this second volume still doesn‘t feel right. Because the swarm only disliked the newcomer for not having a brilliant scale like them - despite the fact that they bullied the original owner of the brilliant scales (he was born with them) to give them up.
Still, as with the first book, the original intent was a noble one and the basic lesson for young children is a very important one, too, so this isn‘t all bad and I‘ll still recommend it to children (again, with a note), not least because it‘s a classic and we can still read them despite being critical of the stories they tell.
The story is that of the swarm now having grown into a tight-knit community after Rainbow Fish has given away all but one of his brilliant scales.
One day, a new fish arrives after having lost his own swarm. He wants to be friends with Rainbow Fish and the others, but they are less than welcoming.
Rainbow Fish sees this, but does nothing at first because he fears he‘ll lose his new-found friends again. A bigger threat is necessary to make Rainbow Fish speak up and the swarm to accept their newest member.
Therefore, this book is about integration and being open when new people arrive. It does it relatively well considering the young target audience. Nevertheless, it felt weird.
Once upon a time, as mentioned in my review of the first book, I had loved these stories (yes, both). Nowadays, I have a different view of them. While the first one is more questionable than this one, this second volume still doesn‘t feel right. Because the swarm only disliked the newcomer for not having a brilliant scale like them - despite the fact that they bullied the original owner of the brilliant scales (he was born with them) to give them up.
Still, as with the first book, the original intent was a noble one and the basic lesson for young children is a very important one, too, so this isn‘t all bad and I‘ll still recommend it to children (again, with a note), not least because it‘s a classic and we can still read them despite being critical of the stories they tell.
October 5, 2018
Meine Tochter hat es geliebt.
March 1, 2016
Four stars because Rainbow Fish was one of my favorite things as a kid and the shiny scale effect is marvelous. But, otherwise, I've noticed this alarming trend in children's books where the odd one out gets shunned until they become like the others. And in this story, Rainbow Fish's friends are jerks. I'm glad he isn't like them.
December 27, 2023
classic childhood book for me.
I remember my friend would always check out this book and then would re check it out days before it was due. So it was difficult to get my hands on it but I finally did when I saw it in another teachers room and I read it and it what drew me most to the book, is how colorful and beautiful it was. Then I realized why my friend would always check it out, it was to beautiful to let in the hands of someone else.
I remember my friend would always check out this book and then would re check it out days before it was due. So it was difficult to get my hands on it but I finally did when I saw it in another teachers room and I read it and it what drew me most to the book, is how colorful and beautiful it was. Then I realized why my friend would always check it out, it was to beautiful to let in the hands of someone else.
April 4, 2022
Le début est tellement triste, les poissons rejettent tous le petit poisson qui est perdu, mais lorsque Arc-En-Ciel ce rappelle que lui aussi avait déjà été laissé de côté, il décide d’aider le petit poisson et réussi à l’intégrer à la bande d’amis. Une histoire qui réchauffe les cœurs.
June 3, 2018
I knew it! There's something odd about expecting someone to give something precious for free. Now that those fishes tasted the feeling of being special, they felt the superiority to ignore those who don't. Anyway, the story was meh.
Oh Kylla, please don't judge me reading more Rainbow Fish books. Hahahah.
Oh Kylla, please don't judge me reading more Rainbow Fish books. Hahahah.
March 10, 2020
Read with my son when he was in first grade.* A fun book that he could read to me.
*He had to keep a reading log and I just found this when going through storage tubs.
*He had to keep a reading log and I just found this when going through storage tubs.
January 14, 2025
They were all just gonna leave the fish to be eaten by the shark?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2023
i love rainbow fish
May 15, 2024
wow. just wow. breathtaking story, absolutely incredible! will definitely be reading again!! 🙂↕️🙂↕️
August 31, 2011
This wonderfully illustrated picture book follows on from the original story of Rainbow Fish, a beautiful but vain fish who learns to share his sparkly scales in order to make friends.
The story opens with Rainbow fish playing tag with his friends by tapping each other on the shiny scale that he gave to each of them. When a small stripy fish timidly asks if he can join in, Rainbow fish watches silently as his friends say no because he doesn't have a sparkly scale like them. Although he feels guilty he is scared to speak out against his friends in case he becomes ostracised from the group. However, when a shark stalks the reef and Stripy fish's life is in danger, Rainbow fish finds himself having to choose between what he believes is right and what the other fish want him to do.
The story is a good analogy for a common playground scenario and a brilliant way of teaching young children how to empathise with others and think about how our actions can make others feel. The story also emphasised to the children the importance of making sure that everyone is included, no matter how different they are from you. The year 1 class I was working with used the book across the curriculum and for circle time, where the pupils enjoyed describing what both Rainbow fish and Stripy fish were feeling and advising the characters on how to deal with the situation. This is a fantastic, well structured book, and is thoroughly recommended for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.
The story opens with Rainbow fish playing tag with his friends by tapping each other on the shiny scale that he gave to each of them. When a small stripy fish timidly asks if he can join in, Rainbow fish watches silently as his friends say no because he doesn't have a sparkly scale like them. Although he feels guilty he is scared to speak out against his friends in case he becomes ostracised from the group. However, when a shark stalks the reef and Stripy fish's life is in danger, Rainbow fish finds himself having to choose between what he believes is right and what the other fish want him to do.
The story is a good analogy for a common playground scenario and a brilliant way of teaching young children how to empathise with others and think about how our actions can make others feel. The story also emphasised to the children the importance of making sure that everyone is included, no matter how different they are from you. The year 1 class I was working with used the book across the curriculum and for circle time, where the pupils enjoyed describing what both Rainbow fish and Stripy fish were feeling and advising the characters on how to deal with the situation. This is a fantastic, well structured book, and is thoroughly recommended for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.
October 2, 2019
Summary:
Rainbow fish and his group of friends were playing flash tag in the deep blue ocean when a little striped fish swam up and asked to join. The group of fish didn’t want the little striped fish to join their game because he did not have special scales. Rainbow fish did not want to lose his new friends, therefore he did not stand up for little striped fish. The little striped fish was disappointed and lonely. As Rainbow Fish and his friends were playing, a shark came to scare them. All the fish hid, leaving the little striped fish alone with the great shark. Rainbow Fish came to rescue, and his friends came along too. They all scared the shark away and saved little striped fish. This was the start to a new friendship.
Evaluation:
I really liked this book. The illustrations grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning. Rainbow Fish To The Rescue teaches young kids a lesson. Students may be able to make a personal connection with this book. As a teacher, it is easy to see there is discrimination in the book and if there are issues in classroom, this may be a good way to address it. This book addresses the common school culture, and it holds a lot of value. I love how this book can be used in both upper and lower grades for multiple reasons, and it has simple vocabulary.
Teaching Moment:
I had two ideas for teaching moments using Rainbow Fish To The Rescue. Even though this book may seem more appropriate for younger ages, I believe it is perfect for students to practice determining theme and summarizing. In this book there is a theme that most children can relate to which is do the right thing even if others disagree. I believe another teaching moment could be to use this book in a science content area. The book shows a few animals and its story lines shows the line of the food chain. Students could create some food chains based on an ocean habitat.
Rainbow fish and his group of friends were playing flash tag in the deep blue ocean when a little striped fish swam up and asked to join. The group of fish didn’t want the little striped fish to join their game because he did not have special scales. Rainbow fish did not want to lose his new friends, therefore he did not stand up for little striped fish. The little striped fish was disappointed and lonely. As Rainbow Fish and his friends were playing, a shark came to scare them. All the fish hid, leaving the little striped fish alone with the great shark. Rainbow Fish came to rescue, and his friends came along too. They all scared the shark away and saved little striped fish. This was the start to a new friendship.
Evaluation:
I really liked this book. The illustrations grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning. Rainbow Fish To The Rescue teaches young kids a lesson. Students may be able to make a personal connection with this book. As a teacher, it is easy to see there is discrimination in the book and if there are issues in classroom, this may be a good way to address it. This book addresses the common school culture, and it holds a lot of value. I love how this book can be used in both upper and lower grades for multiple reasons, and it has simple vocabulary.
Teaching Moment:
I had two ideas for teaching moments using Rainbow Fish To The Rescue. Even though this book may seem more appropriate for younger ages, I believe it is perfect for students to practice determining theme and summarizing. In this book there is a theme that most children can relate to which is do the right thing even if others disagree. I believe another teaching moment could be to use this book in a science content area. The book shows a few animals and its story lines shows the line of the food chain. Students could create some food chains based on an ocean habitat.
November 9, 2022
Audiobook review (which includes all the rainbow fish books.)
If I was giving the story itself a review it would be 5 out of 5 stars. Rainbow Fish has always been a favorite of mine. Unfortunately the audiobook didn't deliver.
First off the opening song (one which is repeated) seems more fit in the start of a kids Halloween movie. It has an eerie feel which just didn't connect with the "feeling" of the story I know and love. Same for the other songs. They were catchy, but didn't fit the tone of the book. I think maybe they were going for an "echo" under the sea type theme but unfortunately it didn't quite work for me.
Next thing I am not sure I liked is the narration of the story. I think the tone and voices for the characters were off. Again it didn't give the whimsy and uplifting tone I associate with the rainbow fish.
The bubble sound effects were a nice touch.
I wouldn't recommend the audiobook to others but I would (as always) recommend the books themselves.
If I was giving the story itself a review it would be 5 out of 5 stars. Rainbow Fish has always been a favorite of mine. Unfortunately the audiobook didn't deliver.
First off the opening song (one which is repeated) seems more fit in the start of a kids Halloween movie. It has an eerie feel which just didn't connect with the "feeling" of the story I know and love. Same for the other songs. They were catchy, but didn't fit the tone of the book. I think maybe they were going for an "echo" under the sea type theme but unfortunately it didn't quite work for me.
Next thing I am not sure I liked is the narration of the story. I think the tone and voices for the characters were off. Again it didn't give the whimsy and uplifting tone I associate with the rainbow fish.
The bubble sound effects were a nice touch.
I wouldn't recommend the audiobook to others but I would (as always) recommend the books themselves.
February 4, 2018
There were a school of fish playing flash-tag with their shiny scales. They were so happy and having fun, and then a little striped fish swam through and wanted to play with them. They told him no because he didn't have a flashing scale and they swam off. The poor fish was sad and rainbow fish felt bad, but he didn't want to lose his friends. They noticed a shark coming for them and they hid, but the shark went straight for the little striped fish. Rainbow fish was brave and went out to save him from the shark. The shark was confused and eventually swam away. They all ended up playing fin-tag and the striped fish was happy to join them.
This book was so good. I loved the illustrations and the story line.
This book can be used to show kids about being brave. If we see someone with no friends, we shouldn't be scared to go talk to them and make them feel welcomed.
This book was so good. I loved the illustrations and the story line.
This book can be used to show kids about being brave. If we see someone with no friends, we shouldn't be scared to go talk to them and make them feel welcomed.
October 12, 2018
Summary:
The rainbow fish was playing with his friends then a sharp arrow went through the water and the little stripe fish was all alone and they got scared and rainbow fish had to come to the rescue because the little stripe fish was becoming dizzy because a shark came. The rainbow fish saved the little stripe fish from the shark. The all became friends.
Like or not:
I liked this book was it was not my favorite rainbow fish book. They always do a good job at making sure to include all the fish even when they don’t want to.
Classroom:
I would love to do a book fair with all the rainbow fish books and make my children talk about all the different books and talk about their favorite ones. They can make little fish and big fish out of paper plates too!
The rainbow fish was playing with his friends then a sharp arrow went through the water and the little stripe fish was all alone and they got scared and rainbow fish had to come to the rescue because the little stripe fish was becoming dizzy because a shark came. The rainbow fish saved the little stripe fish from the shark. The all became friends.
Like or not:
I liked this book was it was not my favorite rainbow fish book. They always do a good job at making sure to include all the fish even when they don’t want to.
Classroom:
I would love to do a book fair with all the rainbow fish books and make my children talk about all the different books and talk about their favorite ones. They can make little fish and big fish out of paper plates too!
November 7, 2018
In this sequel to the original rainbow fish, now the rainbow fish has lots of friends because she is so nice. Now, she's faced with the dilemma that her clique is now excluding a little striped fishy who just wants to play! She feels bad about this and is faced with another moral challenge. Read to find out what happens.
The visual elements are amazing, as is the standard set by the first book. From a literary perspective, foreshadowing is used and so is alliteration to teach about inclusivity.
Perspective-This one's also told by a narrator
I love this book and I love Rainbow Fish.
The visual elements are amazing, as is the standard set by the first book. From a literary perspective, foreshadowing is used and so is alliteration to teach about inclusivity.
Perspective-This one's also told by a narrator
I love this book and I love Rainbow Fish.
January 26, 2026
Rainbow Fish is always interesting because there IS a moral about not being mean and xenophobic to strangers, though in this one it's a direct consequence of Rainbow Fish sharing his shiny scales with everyone and then they exclude the Little Striped Fish from playing flash tag because he doesn't have a shiny scale (and RF doesn't have any more to give out). so yeah, the lesson is to include people who might not have what you have but it shouldn't take the threat of a shark attack to do so...!
Book was in the read aloud bin at Hodgepodge in Eugene!
Book was in the read aloud bin at Hodgepodge in Eugene!
March 9, 2020
Disappointed in this sequel to one of my favorites. Same great illustrations but the story felt weaker here. It teaches inclusion but something ruffled my feathers about rainbow fish not including the newcomer fish just because he didn't want to stand up to another fish (kind of a bully). And only helps the newcomer when his life is in danger. But overall we see these fish learn bravery and adapting play time to include those who are different than us which is great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2020
This book is a good one to have in the classroom that can be used in a lesson on how important inclusiveness is. It can be used to show that you can include everyone into whatever you are doing, even if they are a little bit different. Also that if you see someone being picked on how important it is to reach out and be a friend to them...even when others are not doing that. I would for sure recommend this book to all!
-Kristen
-Kristen
November 9, 2022
Rainbow Fish and his friends all have something in common: they all have a special shiny scale. But when a newcomer wants to play, they aren’t willing to accept anyone who isn’t like them. Then a shark attacks and Rainbow Fish realizes that their rejection could cause permanent harm to the newcomer, so the fish mount a rescue and learn something about exclusion vs inclusion.
Overall, a cozy and meaningful read. The poor shark tho
Overall, a cozy and meaningful read. The poor shark tho
September 30, 2023
Le doy a este libro 4 estrellas porque me encantaba la serie cuando era niño y todavía creo que los dibujos de los peces son encantadores. No suelo leer libros para niños, así que no puedo decir que tal la calidad de la trama o el lenguage si se compara con otros, pero para mi es bastante lindo. Spoiler: la mayoría de los peces son pendejos.
*I received a free ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*I received a free ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 26, 2023
I know this book can be controversial but I liked it because I think it can teach students how to share. And basically that sharing is caring and when you share you are able to create new friendships. I think the reason this book gets hate is because children can’t really share there features with other children.
January 14, 2018
I chose this book because ever since I was little I loved the book due to the bright colors and how fun the pictures were. Today, I have a better understanding of the plot of the story and how it is such a great lesson of including everyone in activities or games.
May 18, 2018
I never felt like the Rainbow fish needed a sequel, but after going through storage, I was reminded that it did have one. Idk if there's others, but the original was always a favourite of mine when I was a child and this one doesn't fall into that category. It was okay, but unnecessary.
October 28, 2019
Het boek is een vervolg van het eerste verhaal. In dit boek helpt regenboog vis een ander. Het verhaal sluit aan bij de belevingswereld van een kind. De illustraties in het boek passen goed bij het verhaal. Vooral de glitterschubben spreken kinderen aan.
January 23, 2020
Great book! Teaches students the lesson to stand up for others even if it might not seem like the "cool" thing to do in the moment. This book also teaches the lesson that you don't have to exclude someone because they are different from you. You can be friends with someone despite your differences.
September 1, 2020
To tell you the truth, I haven't read this since I was 7, but I'm glad to have finally found it on here, so I know it does indeed exist. I hadn't realised it was a sequel to its more famous predecessor. In all fairness, I feel its message is far better, and should be shown in schools moreso.
December 13, 2020
In this book the fish that had once hated Rainbow Fish for acting all that were acting as bad as he once had, but Rainbow Fish knew what it was like to be lonely and I'm happy to see he finally let the little stripped fish in. Liked the orignal better tho lol
April 4, 2022
Secondo me la storia non riesce a trasmettere il messaggio che voleva. Alla fine il pesciolino nuovo viene accettato solo perché ha fatto pena ad uno del gruppo 😥 e da solo non sarebbe sopravvissuto. invece di accettarlo col messaggio che in un gruppo c'è sempre posto per nuovi e vecchi arrivati ✨🙏
May 29, 2023
I'm glad Netgalley is finally offering books in Spanish. And it's always a pleasure to leaf through a Rainbow Fish book. The Spanish translation is a great way to familiarise kids with the language. A fun and delightful read with beautiful illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews