''The Rainbow Fish'' is a children's picture book drawn and written by
Swiss author and illustrator,
Marcus Pfister, and translated into English by J. Alison James. The book is best known for the distinctive shiny foil
scales of the Rainbow Fish.
Decode Entertainment
WildBrain Studios is the in-house television studio arm of Canadian entertainment company WildBrain based in Vancouver which was established in 2016 as DHX Studios.
History
In January 2016, DHX Media announced that they would be building a 60 ...
turned the story into an
animated television series of the same name, which aired on the
HBO Family
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is bas ...
television channel
A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with ...
in the United States and
Teletoon
Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and "cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts an ...
in Canada from 1999 until 2000.
Plot
The story is about a small
rainbowfish
The rainbowfish or Melanotaeniidae is a family of small, colourful freshwater fish found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea (including islands in Cenderawasih Bay and Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia), Sulawesi and Madagascar.
The ...
with shiny, multi-coloured
scales. He has blue, green, purple, and pink scales. Interspersed with these colorful scales are shiny, holographic scales which are his favorites. The other fish from his shoal also have scales, but only scales matching to their real colors. However, they wish that they had shiny silver scales just like Rainbow Fish. One day, a small
blue fish
The bluefish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'') is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as ta ...
(named Blue in the
TV series) who envied the shiny silver scales asks the Rainbow Fish if he could have one of his. The Rainbow Fish refuses in a
rude
Rudeness (also called effrontery) is a display of actual or perceived disrespect by not complying with the social norms or etiquette of a group or culture. These norms have been established as the essential boundaries of normally accepted beha ...
manner. The small blue fish tells all the other fish that The Rainbow Fish was being rude, and as a result, the other fish do not want to play with him any more.
His only remaining friend, the
starfish, tells him to go visit the wise
octopus (named Wanda in the TV series) for advice. When he goes to the cave where she lives, he sees Wanda the octopus. Wanda (in a deep voice) says that she has been waiting for him. Then she explains that the waves have told her his story. Then, she gives The Rainbow Fish her advice: He must share his scales with the other fish. She continues that he might no longer be the most beautiful fish after that, but he will discover how to be happy. The Rainbow Fish tries to say that he cannot share his favorite scales, but Wanda disappears in a
cloud
In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may ...
of
ink
Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker ...
.
When he encounters the little blue fish for a second time, The Rainbow Fish shares one of his precious silver scales and sees the little fish's joy. With that one shiny scale gone, he immediately feels much better. Very soon, the Rainbow Fish is surrounded by the other fish requesting scales and he shares one of his shiny silver scales with each of them. Soon, everyone in the ocean has one shiny scale, including The Rainbow Fish. The Rainbow Fish is finally happy even though he only had one shiny scale left.
Theme
A ''Publishers Weekly'' reviewer called the book a "cautionary tale about selfishness and vanity".
Its central theme is about the importance of sharing with others and how that leads to happiness.
Origin of the Rainbow Fish
''The Rainbow Fish'' was originally published in 1992. At that time, Marcus Pfister suggested using holographic foil for the scales, a technique used in graphic design but not yet seen in children's books. Pfister says in an interview, "The expense was a big issue. Because of the foil, each copy of the book cost double the amount of the normal price of producing a book. With the cost, it was quite difficult for Davy
he editorto decide whether to do the foil. So we decided that I’d get only 50% of my usual royalties for the book, and only that way was it possible to make it work."
''The Rainbow Fish'' was developed from another book Pfister had previously illustrated, ''The Sleepy Owl''. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Pfister said, "Well, I had published some other books after The Sleepy Owl – there were some Christmas books and ''Penguin Pete'' – but Brigitte Sidjanski, founder of NordSud, had always liked my first book, and suggested I do another book similar to that. So I thought that if a new book was to have something in common with that book, the character should resemble an owl. But I really didn’t want to draw another bird. Then one day, I had a copy of ''The Sleepy Owl'' by my desk, and I looked closely at that character, and I realized I could create a fish character that would be quite similar to the owl. So the feathers became scales. And then I began thinking about the story, and I came up with the idea of a colorful fish."
Book series
There are sequels in the Rainbow Fish book series:
* ''Rainbow Fish to the Rescue!'': About the acceptance and integration of foreigners.
* ''Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale'': About arguments and how to settle them.
* ''The Rainbow Fish and the Sea Monsters' Cave'': About irrational and rational fears.
* ''Rainbow Fish Finds his Way'': With the help of his new friends, Rainbow Fish finds his way back home.
* ''Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea'': About modesty and happiness.
* ''Good Night, Little Rainbow Fish'': About the love between mother and child.
* ''You Can't Win Them All, Rainbow Fish'': About fairness and good sportsmanship.
* ''Rainbow Fish and the Storyteller'': About lies and exaggeration.
There is also a Spanish language edition of ''The Rainbow Fish'', ''El Pez Arco Iris,'' as well as bilingual editions in English paired with Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Vietnamese.
Five Rainbow Fish stories, ''The Rainbow Fish''; ''Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale''; ''Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea''; ''You Can’t Win Them All, Rainbow Fish''; and ''Good Night, Little Rainbow Fish'' are featured in the collection, ''The Rainbow Fish and His Friends.''
Acclaim
''The Rainbow Fish'' has sold over 30 million copies internationally, and has been released in 50 languages (currently available in 37).
From ''Romper'': The Rainbow Fish follows a little fish in the ocean, but, as readers learn, this isn’t just an average, everyday fish, it’s “the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean.” Unlike ordinary fish, this one has gorgeous, sparkly scales in various shades of beautiful colors. The fish could keep all of his beauty to himself, but instead, he shares it with his friends and feels immense joy in doing so. This book is full of gorgeous artwork.
From ''School Library Journal'': The delicate watercolors of underwater scenes are a perfect foil to the glittering scales that eventually form a part of each fish's exterior. This is certainly a story written to convey a message, but in its simplicity, it recalls the best of Lionni. Besides, what three-year-old doesn't need reinforcement about sharing?
''Booklist'' said "Will fascinate preschoolers."
Awards and Accolades:
* #1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
* Wall Street Journal Bestseller
* An IRA-CBC Children's Choice
* Winner of the Bologna Book Fair Critici in Erba Prize
* A Christopher Award Winner
The late
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...
read ''The Rainbow Fish'' as part of Storyline Online.
Model Winnie Harlow read ''The Rainbow Fish'' as part of the #SavewithStories program led by
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
.
Website
The Rainbow Fish has his own website at www.rainbowfish.us. The website features information about the series as well as educator resources and product links.
Short film
On March 25, 1997, an animated
adaptation of the story book was released on
VHS and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
(known as ''The Rainbow Fish and Dazzle the Dinosaur''). The home video releases also contain the film
Dazzle the Dinosaur which is based on another book written by Pfister and published in 1994. The animated short film features a song called "Giving Makes You Special". In ''Dazzle the Dinosaur'', the imaginary dinosaur named Dazzle is an egg (separated from another family and is at first an orphan). Although it is not specified what kind of dinosaur he is, he is possibly an ''
Ouranosaurus'' (relative of
Iguanodon
''Iguanodon'' ( ; meaning ' iguana-tooth'), named in 1825, is a genus of iguanodontian dinosaur. While many species have been classified in the genus ''Iguanodon'', dating from the late Jurassic Period to the early Cretaceous Period of Asia, ...
; or in other words a dinosaur from the
Iguanodontidae
Iguanodontidae is a family of iguanodontians belonging to Styracosterna, a derived clade within Ankylopollexia.
Characterized by their elongated maxillae, they were herbivorous and typically large in size. This family exhibited locomotive dynam ...
family). Then he adopts a young female
Maiasaura
''Maiasaura'' (from the Greek ''μαῖα'', meaning "good mother" and ''σαύρα'', the feminine form of ''saurus'', meaning "reptile") is a large herbivorous saurolophine hadrosaurid ("duck-billed") dinosaur genus that lived in the area cur ...
from a ''Maiasaura'' family and herd. Her name is Maia the Maiasaura. In this story, they try to get the no-good Dragonsaurus (which terrified the Maiasauruses) to give them back their old home (which had once been in a cave). The duo (Dazzle and Maia) see a ''
Apatosaurus
''Apatosaurus'' (; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, ''A. ajax'', in 1877, ...
''. Then they tell him the truth about their old home (their cave) which the Dragonsaurus had moved in to. When the ''
Quetzalcoatlus'' takes Dazzle and Maia to the cave (which the Dragonsaurus had moved in). But he warns them he and his flock leave at sunset. Because he is not staying when the Dragonsaurus comes around (saying to them, "I am never again coming back to that cave once the Dragonsaurus is awake!"). The Dragonsaurus does give it back in the end, and Dazzle, Maia, and all the other Maiasauruses are able to return to their old home. The dinosaurs in this story are ''Apatosaurus'',
Stegosaurus
''Stegosaurus'' (; ) is a genus of herbivorous, four-legged, armored dinosaur from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils of the genus have been fou ...
, ''Quetzalcoatlus'', ''
Deinonychus
''Deinonychus'' ( ; ) is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur with one described species, ''Deinonychus antirrhopus''. This species, which could grow up to long, lived during the early Cretaceous Period, about 115–108 million y ...
'', ''
Tyrannosaurus
''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...
'', Ouranosaurus (that being Dazzle), and Dragonsaurus.
Cast
*Tom Arntzen as Narrator
*Cheralynn Bailey as Starfish
*
Jay Brazeau
Jay Brazeau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Sam Fisher in ''Cold Squad'', as Harlan in ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and for voicing Uncle Quigley in '' Sabrina: The Animated Series''. He is also known for his role as Bobby in ...
as Quetzalcoatlus
*
Alex Doduck as Fish with Gray fins
*Marcy Goldberg as Stegosaurus
*
David Kaye as Apatasauras
*
Campbell Lane
Campbell Lane (July 15, 1935 – January 30, 2014) was a Canadian actor who primarily did his work in Vancouver. He appeared in many television shows produced there, and was also a voice over artist.
Death
Campbell Lane died on January 30, 2014 ...
as Barracuda, Eel & Dragonsaurus
*Blu Mankuma as Lobster
*Shirley Milliner as Wise Octopus
*David Morse as Rainbow Fish
*
Tegan Moss
Tegan Moss (born February 7, 1985) is a Canadian actress appearing in film and television. She has been nominated for a Young Artist Award.
Biography
Moss was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has two brothers, Rory Moss, and actor Jes ...
as Fish with Viridian Fins
*Eric Pospisil as Dazzle
*Kaitlyn Stewart as Maia
*
Chantal Strand as Little Blue Fish
*
Sarah Strange
Sarah Strange is a Canadian actress. She has worked in a variety of American and Canadian television and film projects, including Helen in the Canadian drama ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' and as the voice actor for Ranma Saotome.
Life and career
Strang ...
as Mother Maiasaura
*Veronica Sztopa as Fish with Yellow-Green Fins
*Chris Turner as Fish with Turquoise fins
Television series
''The Rainbow Fish'' was adapted into a children's animated television series in 1999.
However, the television series does not follow the plot of the book; rather it takes the character and the setting and creates a new story with them. Some characters were added and others embellished for the purposes of the show. In the series, the place where the fish live is called Neptune Bay (after
Neptune, god of the sea). The fish attend school, which is aptly named "The School of Fish". There is a
shipwreck called "Shipwreck Park" in the series that resembles the
wreck of the RMS Titanic
The wreck of the RMS ''Titanic'' lies at a depth of about , about south-southeast of the coast of Newfoundland. It lies in two main pieces about apart. The bow is still recognisable with many preserved interiors, despite deterioration and ...
. It was produced by
Decode Entertainment
WildBrain Studios is the in-house television studio arm of Canadian entertainment company WildBrain based in Vancouver which was established in 2016 as DHX Studios.
History
In January 2016, DHX Media announced that they would be building a 60 ...
and Yoram Gross-EM.TV. 26 episodes were produced.
Author
In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Marcus Pfister said "while I was at the Art School of Bern, I came to know about all the major Swiss children’s book illustrators. The other students and I would talk about how nice it would be to illustrate children’s books. At that point it was a dream, and only a few guys tried to realize this dream."
Criticism
Some critics have asserted that ''The Rainbow Fish'' "promotes
socialism
Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...
", or
collectivist values. From this perspective it has been alleged that, "...the message this book sends to children about envy, entitlement, uniformity and mediocrity
s problematic Not to mention the bullying and shaming used by the scaleless fish to get what he wants."
Ira Stoll
Ira Stoll (born 1972) is managing editor of '' Education Next'', an education policy journal based at the ''Harvard Kennedy School''. He is editor of FutureOfCapitalism.com, a columnist for the ''Algemeiner'', and he writes a column that appears ...
, another critic of ''The Rainbow Fish'' on
anti-socialist grounds, claims that
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econo ...
reviews of the book were evenly divided between those in favor of the book (and the values that it promotes), and those reviews that were more critical, including, "For a flavor of the one-star reviews, one is titled, 'Great for the young communist and socialist.
In the June 2019 issue of ''
Reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...
''
magazine, libertarian journalist
Matt Welch
Matthew Lee Welch (born July 31, 1968) is an American blogger, journalist, author, and
libertarian political pundit.
Early life
Welch was born on July 31, 1968 in Bellflower, California. He was raised in Long Beach, California. He attended U ...
wrote an article titled "Don't Be Like the Rainbow Fish",
in which he described the ways in which the Rainbow Fish in the book acted quite differently from that of the author of the book,
Marcus Pfister, in Welch's view. Welch derides the process in which the Rainbow Fish in the book gave away its scales, and become "colorless", as contrasting starkly with the colorful methods and materials Pfister himself would have used in order to produce the actual book, which ultimately went on to sell millions of copies. Welch said, "Whereas Rainbow Fish achieves transcendence through literally becoming colorless, the exact opposite was the case for ''The Rainbow Fish''. Using an expensive and novel combination of holographic foil stamping and watercolor, the Swiss-born Pfister and his publisher, NorthSouth Books, produced a striking visual package that proved irresistible. 'The effect of the stamping was so nice that all the bookshops here in Switzerland put it in the windows,' Pfister recalled in a 2013 interview with Publishers Weekly. 'We decided that I'd get only 50 percent of my usual royalties for the book, and only that way was it possible to make it work.'"
Former conservative
radio host
A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a radi ...
Neal Boortz
Neal A Boortz Jr. (born April 6, 1945) is an American author, former attorney, and former conservative radio host. His nationally syndicated talk show, ''The Neal Boortz Show'', which ended in 2013, was carried throughout the United States. The ...
said that ''The Rainbow Fish'' in his view was, "...one of the biggest pieces of trash children's books ever published"
for the similar reasons to that of Welch, as Welch states in the Reason article, "...
he Rainbow Fishonly gets truly ostracized because he won't hand over his body parts on demand, in the name of equality."
References
External links
* http://www.marcuspfister.ch
* http://www.rainbowfish.us
* http://www.northsouth.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rainbow Fish
1992 children's books
Child characters in animation
Child characters in animated television series
Child characters in literature
Child characters in television
Picture books
Swiss children's literature