Fresno State Library
The Rainbow Fish
Warning Sensitive Topics
Story Summary: The rainbow fish with its iridescent scales is the most beautiful fish in the whole ocean. But since he is also vain and proud, he becomes more and more lonely over time. Then he realizes that you can't win friends through beauty. He overcomes his pride and begins to distribute his glitter scales to the other fish.
The Rainbow Fish written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister, and originally published in 1992. The book follows a rainbow fish with iridescent scales who is the most beautiful fish in the whole ocean. But since he is also vain and proud, he becomes more lonely over time. He realizes that you can’t win friends through beauty. He then overcomes his pride and begins to distribute his glitter scales to the other fish.
The book has been considered to be problematic by some due to its messaging and moral values. For example, the rainbow fish has a lot of pride and values himself due to his physical appearance; however, he ultimately gives up what makes him unique to fit in and appease the other fish in the story. Rather than embracing differences the book seems to teach children that they should want to fit in to avoid isolation by their peers. Although The Rainbow Fish is frequently employed as a beautiful lesson in sharing and friendship, the lesson is only made possible as the titular fish succumbs to engaging in self-mutilative sacrifice to avoid social ostracization stemming from his unique appearance. In her chapter titled Slave Morality in The Rainbow Fish, Mills (2012) describes The Rainbow Fish as a story of “a shared struggle of the other fish to reduce the rainbow fish to their level, so that by the end of the story he is no longer rare, strange, or privileged, but just like everyone else, indistinguishable among his fellow members of the herd.”
Some have also raised concern that the book reinforces racist, sexist, and potentially ableist ideology throughout the book’s narrative. In Fish Stories: Teaching Children’s Literature in a Postmodern World, Coats (2001) explores The Rainbow Fish’s potentially problematic promotion of social conformity and homogeneity. Coats’ states that “homogeneity—in tone, in color, and finally in subject—is the dominant theme, making the book problematic from a multicultural, multi-anything standpoint.” Further, in Sacrifice (Yourself!) in the Rainbow Fish and The Giving Tree, Vail (2021) argues that The Rainbow Fish and it’s “steadfast promotion of homogeneity can be read as anti-physical-diversity in regard to multiple types of physical difference such as ability, race, and gender.” .
Alternative Book Choices
Elephants are gray. Pigs are pink. Only the chameleon has no color of his own. He is purple like the heather, yellow like a lemon, even black and orange striped like a tiger! Then one day a chameleon has an idea to remain one color forever by staying on the greenest leaf he can find. But in the autumn, the leaf changes from green to yellow to red . . . and so does the chameleon. When another chameleon suggests they travel together, he learns that companionship is more important than having a color of his own. No matter where he goes with his new friend, they will always be alike.
Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.
Reflections and Other Materials
We encourage you to explore our other Critical Literacy Resources .