[edit] Guide Note
Marcus Pfister's award-winning children picture book, The Rainbow Fish, is about a fish with shining scales who learns that sharing with friends brings him more happiness than being the most beautiful fish in the ocean.
[edit] Various interpretations
The Rainbow Fish can be interpreted in various ways.
- One basic interpretation is that it promotes sharing and considering everyone as an equal.
- It can be seen to propose the need to give much of one's possessions to be included and accepted in today's Society. It presents the idea that you CAN buy love.
- Critics also claim that the book presents the idea of socialism where the concept of individual identity is replaced with social equality.
[edit] Artistic technique
Pfister worked to emphasize the shiny metallic scale detail of Rainbow Fish in his book and wanted his finished book to attract and trigger children's imagination. He used an artistic technique known as 'holographic stamping' which played a large part in achieving his goal.
[edit] TV series
Decode Entertainment adopted Marcus Pfister's story into a 26-episode animated television series. This series, however, does not follow the same plot and more characters and scenes were added.
[edit] The Rainbow Fish series
The Rainbow Fish series is all about solving problems. In each sequel we encounter strong messages of acceptance of others, will to settle disputes, rescuing and restoring peace. Publisher's Weekly listed the book among the all-time best-selling hardcover children's books and it also won the 1995 American Booksellers Book of the Year Award.
[edit] Fast Facts
- Author: Marcus Pfister
- Illustrator: the author himself.
- Publisher: North-South Books
- Published: September 1992
- Translated into English by J. Alison James
- 1995 ABBY Award winner
- Bestseller across the U.S. since 1992
- The Rainbow Fish is a book series
- Translated into 30 languages
- "For me, there is one major criterion in determining the value of a book: if it brings adults and children together and makes them interact intensely, then it has achieved its purpose."
- " A good book acts as a bridge between a child and an adult, sparking lots of questions, and expanding the imagination of the child."—Marcus Pfister, North-South Books
