The Rainbow Fish

Outline

The Rainbow Fish (1992) tells the story of the most beautiful fish in the ocean, whose shining, colourful scales make him proud but lonely. When he learns to share his scales with the other fish, he discovers friendship and happiness. Marcus Pfister’s picture book, famous for its sparkling foil illustrations, teaches young readers about sharing, kindness, and the value of friends.

• The most beautiful fish in the ocean is proud of his shining, colourful scales but ends up lonely.
• Sharing his scales with the other fish is what leads him to friendship and happiness.
• Standing apart because of how you look brings less joy than kindness and togetherness do.
• The picture book is famous for its sparkling foil illustrations, which suit its simple story for ages 3 to 6.

Marcus Pfister is a Swiss author and illustrator of children’s books. He worked as a graphic designer before creating The Rainbow Fish, which became an international bestseller translated into dozens of languages. He has written many more books, including several sequels featuring the Rainbow Fish and his friends.