The Rainbow Fish

The Rainbow Fish, written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister, is the story of a beautiful fish who is not kind to the other fish. His beauty makes him proud and unkind to others, yet the story is somewhat awkward or misses the point of how beauty on the inside is better than beauty on the outside. This book is quite popular, yet every time I read it, I feel uncomfortable.

Rainbow Fish is admired by the other fish and is asked to share his sparkly scales. He refuses to do so, and the other fish will not play with him because he will not share. That is an important lesson for children to learn, but I think the analogy between a scale and a toy falls short. I liken it to a child asking another child to wear the clothes they have on, and if the child doesn't take off their clothes and share them with the other child, then they are selfish. This just doesn't make sense.

In the end, Rainbow Fish does share his special scales with the other fish, which is a nice ending, but it feels wrongs to me. The other fish are now his friends, but is this only because he bribed them with his shiny scales? Are these the kinds of friends one wants, if they only want what you have and don't like you for who you are? It sort of reminds me of the children who only wanted to come to my house to swim in my pool, but these same children were unkind to me at school.

The illustrations are beautiful, but this Swiss tale somehow misses the point of sharing, friendship, beauty, pride, and conceit. I am a firm believer in giving and sharing, but not by coercion or as the sole basis of friendship. Despite my reservations, I continue to read this book to children in order to discuss these ideas, which is perhaps not the author's intent. Shiny scales (money) can't buy you love!