nice fish, terrible message
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The best thing about this book is that the cute shiny scales on the fish are inspiring for doing fish projects with kids (draw a fish and stick on bits of foil for the scales).
The worst thing about this book is that it is a trendy fashionable book which is pushed by all the book sellers, but the story is drab, tedious, and quite frankly bizarre. In my opinion this kind of book takes all the fun out of kids stories. The fish has to give away his body parts to have friends. People can only be friends when they are all the same. What is that all about? I agree with a previous reviewer which says that there are better books about sharing out there. If you like books with a moral, but also with a beautifully constructed story, try "little raccoon and the thing in the pool"
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wrong message!
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Yes!It's a beautiful illustrated book!But reading the story it gave me a feeling something isn't right.Ok:the beautiful fish is arrogant but is the answer to this to give parts of his body away to make friends?To me the story is about a little jealous fish who wants to be as beautiful as the bigger fish.The little jealous fish also tells all his friend how "bad" the beautiful fish is because he doesn't want to share parts of his body.When he gives away it's beauty,the other fish like him.This is certainly not a message I want to give my child!Enjoy your beauty,but it doesn't make you better than anybody else.And for sharing,to give things,to become friends:I think there are better books than this one:The tiger who came to tea-Smile crocodile,smile-The snail and the wail
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Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but, frankly I am shocked that the reviews on this book are so negative!
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The book is well above one or two star calibre.
It is high in OFSTED's list of acceptable books which is more than you can say for the claptrap that is constantly appearing for young children these days, if you can get them away from playing on the various machines or texting on mobile phones (and I am talking 5 and 6 year olds here!) in the first place!
The story's message is a lot to do with the person you are, or are becoming, or is based on the upbringing one has had, in my opinion.
The story line is nothing new - 'buying friendship' or 'realising that you CAN do without the odd thing or too......especially if it makes another one happy' - it is a personal choice.
Whichever you choose to believe this is aimed at reasonably young children and I have been teaching them for nigh on 40 years!
We get the sharing message across 9 times out of 10!
But, that is the result of good teaching - it is generally eroded when the child returns home!
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A tale with a difference
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`The Rainbow Fish is an international bestseller and a modern classic.
Eye-catching foil stamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child appeal, 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 give this book its lasting value.'
A story predominantly aimed at pre-schoolers, with mixed views on its message, but still a favourite in the reading corner for its `glittering' format.
I have seen it as the `source book' for many a book corner project with the children's own ideas of what the book means to them......usually some glitter and a bit of sparkly foil!
This 2007/NorthSouth Books paperback version is no exception, retaining that original unique format with 48 high quality pages, in the popular `two-page spread' format, with sparkly scales a-glowing, even in the dark cave of the octopus:-
"I have been waiting for you," said the octopus with a deep voice.
"The waves have told me your story.
This is my advice. Give a glittering scale to each of the other fish.
You will no longer be the most beautiful fish in the sea, but you will discover how to be happy."
"I can't...." the Rainbow Fish started to say, but the octopus had already disappeared into a large cloud of ink.....'
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How to buy friendship? No thanks. Star for graphics.
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As other reviewers have noted, this is about buying friendship, rather than sharing. Rainbowfish has to give his pretty scales away to other fish in order to stop them from shunning him (after one fish asks for a pretty scale, and Rainbowfish refuses - other fish then persuades remaining fish to shun Rainbowfish until he gives away his scales.).
I note that teachers are encouraging of this book. Not a good reflection of the sort of morals taught in some schools, then. "It's good to shun people if they won't share their prized possessions" (body parts, in this case!), and "Buying friendship is perfectly acceptable".
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