The Rainbow Fish

For the youngest readers, the board book edition from the New York Times bestselling Rainbow Fish series.

The award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share.

Eye-catching foil stamping, glittering on every page, will delight every child, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions that gives this book its enduring value.

Marcus Pfister was born in Bern, Switzerland. After studying at art school in Bern, he trained as a graphic artist. His first picture book was published by NordSüd in 1986, but his breakthrough as author and illustrator came in 1992 with the publication of The Rainbow Fish. Since then, he has published more than sixty books, which have been translated into about sixty-five languages and have won many international awards. He lives with his family in Bern.

Marcus Pfister’s The Rainbow Fish, first published in 1992, is a globally beloved classic of children’s literature that has captivated generations of young readers. While it is fundamentally a picture book—famous for its innovative, eye-catching use of holographic foil stamping to create shimmering, iridescent scales on the page—the narrative itself carries a profound, timeless moral weight. On the surface, it is a simple fable about marine life, but at its core, the story functions as a deep psychological exploration of vanity, the isolating nature of materialism, and the transformative, healing power of generosity and community. Pfister crafts a narrative that gently but firmly challenges the idea that physical beauty and unique possessions are the keys to happiness, illustrating instead that true joy is found in human connection and the willingness to share parts of ourselves with others.

The story introduces us to the protagonist, the Rainbow Fish, who is unequivocally the most beautiful creature in the entire ocean. He is adorned with an array of magnificent scales in shades of vibrant blue, green, and purple, interspersed with striking, glittering silver scales that catch the light with every movement. His breathtaking appearance makes him the center of attention, and the other ordinary fish in the sea are mesmerized by him. They affectionately call him "Rainbow Fish" and eagerly invite him to play with them in the ocean currents. However, his extraordinary beauty has cultivated a deep-seated arrogance and a profound sense of superiority. Believing himself to be above the common fish, he routinely ignores their friendly invitations. He chooses to glide past them proudly and silently, refusing to engage, entirely consumed by his own reflection and the maintenance of his pristine, glittering exterior.

The narrative’s inciting incident occurs when a small, ordinary blue fish bravely approaches the aloof protagonist. The little blue fish politely and admiringly asks if the Rainbow Fish might be willing to share just one of his many glittering scales, noting how beautiful they are and how many the Rainbow Fish possesses. Rather than being flattered or moved by the request, the Rainbow Fish is deeply offended and outraged by the sheer audacity of the small creature. He fiercely guards his prized possessions, snapping aggressively at the little blue fish and demanding to know who he thinks he is to ask for such a gift. He abruptly chases the small fish away, completely failing to recognize the cruelty of his response. This harsh reaction stems from his core belief that his entire worth and identity are tied to his unique, glittering scales; to give even one away would, in his mind, diminish his special status and ruin his perfection.

Hurt and deeply frightened by the aggressive rejection, the little blue fish swims away and shares the story of the Rainbow Fish's selfishness with the rest of the underwater community. As a direct consequence of his vanity and cruelty, the entire ocean turns its back on the Rainbow Fish. When he swims by, the other fish no longer marvel at his shimmering scales; instead, they deliberately turn away, completely ignoring his presence. The Rainbow Fish is suddenly plunged into a stark, painful isolation. His once-prized beauty loses all its joy and meaning because there is absolutely no one left to admire it. He is forced to confront the harsh reality that being the most beautiful fish in the sea is entirely worthless if he has no friends to share his life with. His external perfection has directly led to a total internal emptiness, leaving him profoundly lonely.

Desperate to understand his misery, the Rainbow Fish seeks counsel. He first complains to a starfish, asking the central existential question of his life: he is beautiful, so why doesn't anyone like him? The starfish, unable to provide the deep wisdom required, directs him to the wise octopus who resides in a dark, foreboding cave deep past the coral reef. This journey to the dark cave symbolizes the Rainbow Fish’s descent into his own subconscious, forcing him to face his deepest fears. The wise octopus reveals that she has been expecting him, having heard the waves whisper his story. She delivers a heavy, challenging verdict: to find true happiness, he must give away his glittering scales to the other fish. She warns him that he will no longer be the most beautiful fish in the ocean, but he will finally discover how to be truly happy.

Initially, the Rainbow Fish is horrified by the octopus's advice. Giving away his scales feels akin to destroying his very identity. How could he possibly be happy without the one thing that makes him special? However, his internal resistance is tested when the little blue fish cautiously returns, asking one more time for a single, tiny scale. Experiencing a sudden shift in perspective, the Rainbow Fish decides that giving away just one insignificant scale couldn't possibly hurt. He carefully removes the smallest glittering scale from his body and gently hands it to the little blue fish. The small fish’s pure, bubbling joy and profound gratitude spark a sudden, completely unfamiliar warmth within the Rainbow Fish.

Seeing the little blue fish darting happily through the water with his new treasure quickly attracts the attention of the rest of the ocean. Soon, the Rainbow Fish is surrounded by a swarm of fish, all hoping to receive a shimmering scale. Caught up in the unexpected joy of giving, the Rainbow Fish begins distributing his scales one by one to the crowd. With every scale he gives away, he feels increasingly connected to the community around him. The cold wall of his isolation evaporates, replaced by a deep, fulfilling happiness he had never known. Eventually, he is left with only one single shimmering scale. He has given away his most prized possessions, stripping away his superficial superiority, yet he feels richer and more vibrant than ever before. The story concludes beautifully with the Rainbow Fish playfully darting off into the water to join his new friends, finally at peace, completely integrated into the community, and understanding that true wealth is found entirely in what we share with others.