Rainbow Fish
Written and Illustrated by Marcus Pfister
Key
Concepts
 Being a friend
 Learning to share
 Asking for help
Vocabulary

fin

scale


Sea creatures named in the
story:

starfish

coral reef

octopus
glide
whizzed

dazzling

shimmering

glittering

shocked

admire

delighted

amazed
Related
Books
Rainbow Fish to the Rescue by Marcus Pfister
The sequel to Pfister's popular The Rainbow Fish features the same eye
catching graphics, and tells a story of heroism and charity, offering a
universal message about kindness and acceptance of others.
Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale by Marcus Pfister
The glittering hero of the award-winning "The Rainbow Fish" crosses paths
with a big blue whale. The gentle creature loves watching the sparkling fish at
play, but because of his size, the little fish are suspicious and assume he is up
to no good. The misunderstanding quickly escalates as, hurt and angry, the
whale lashes out at them. Their worst fears seem to be coming true, and it's up
to Rainbow Fish to save them all from disaster.
Rainbow Fish Finds His Way by Marcus Pfister and J. Alison James
The Rainbow Fish gets lost in an undersea storm and has to find his way back
home. Luckily, with the help of some new friends, it isn't long before
Rainbow Fish is reunited with his glittering school of fish.
Rainbow Fish and the Sea Monster’s Cave by Marcus Pfister
Seeking healing algae for the ailing bumpy-backed fish, Rainbow Fish rashly
volunteers to brave the dreaded Sea Monster' Cave, the most dangerous place
in the ocean.
Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea
Rainbow fish discovers the deep sea and encounters many different fish. The
moral of this story is about not being scared of people (fish) from other
places who look different than you.
Penguin Pete by Marcus Pfister
Besides The Rainbow fish, Pfister has also written a popular series on penguins.
This book is about Pete who is about the smallest penguin in his colony and is
eager to grow up quickly so that he can swim in the sea.
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and team work—they can
overcome the danger they encounter in the ocean. With its graceful text and
stunning artwork, this is a Caldecott Honor Book.
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
Meet underwater fathers caring for their babies! This book is an excellent resource
for activities for fathers.
For the Teacher
About the Book
About the Story The Rainbow Fish is an international best seller and has been translated into multiple
languages. Much of its appeal lies in the colorful, foil-stamped images of underwater life, 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 the book its lasting value.
Many teachers like to use this book along with Swimmy in the gray days of January and
February because the colors of the ocean brighten up the classroom. There are many colorful
art activities related to these books that can transform the classroom into a Caribbean beach
scene!
About the
Author/
Illustrator
Marcus Pfister was born Switzerland. He attended the Art School of Bern and then completed an
apprenticeship as a Graphic Designer. Until 1992, Marcus worked simultaneously as a Graphic
Designer and as an author/illustrator of children's books. In 1992 he burst onto the international
scene with his book The Rainbow Fish, which convinced him to focus solely on writing and
illustrating his own books. Marcus used holographic foil to make the rainbow fishes scale shimmer.
It was the first time that technique was used in a book. As an illustrator, Marcus has never bound
himself to a definite style of art and surprises his audience again and again with new techniques
and images. Marcus Pfister has four children and lives with his family in Bern, Switzerland.
For the Teacher
Reading the book
Getting Started If you are emphasizing letter recognition in your class, pull out a letter R and a letter B from
your Story Time Mystery Bag (or just hold them up) and tell the children: “These letters are a
clue to two important words in the title of the book I am going to read today.” Have children
say the letter you are showing them. Then hold up a copy of Rainbow Fish (Big Book if
available) and ask if they see the special letters (R and B) in the title of the book. Read the title
of the book, the names of the author and the illustrator, and begin! You can also pull out flannel
board figures from the Story Time Mystery Bag to get the children interested in the content of
the book.
As you Read
Note: The following suggestions and questions are not necessarily meant to be used the
first time you read a book, or to be used all at once. Often it’s best to read through a book
once and then reread it on subsequent days, taking into account the children’s attention
span and interest. Repeated readings and incorporating story-related activities into
multiple classroom areas can turn a story into a far-reaching learning experience.



As you open the book, make sure children can see the holographic foil scales on picture
of the Rainbow Fish. Tip the page from side to side to show how the scales look
different depending on the angles of the light. (You may want to use a flashlight to
show the effect.)
On the next page, children can see the difference between the shiny Rainbow Fish and
all the other plain fish in the illustration. Ask: “How do you think the other fish felt?”
The fish ask the Rainbow Fish to come and play with them. “What did the Rainbow








Reinforce
what’s learned
Fish do?” Tell about a time you wanted someone to play with you and they wouldn’t or
couldn’t play.
Ask children to predict what they think the Rainbow Fish will do when the little blue
fish asks for one little shiny scale.
Turn the page and ask children: “Why do you think the little blue fish was upset? What
would you say if someone asked you: ‘Who do you think you are?’?”
As you continue reading, ask children: “Why do you think nobody like the Rainbow
Fish?”
The Rainbow Fish now feels lonely. Ask children to think about a time when they feel
sad and lonely. “What did you do?” (do something nice for a friend so that they want to
play with you...find something to do by yourself that’s fun etc)
When you come to the page where the Rainbow Fish sees the octopus’s eyes glaring at
him, ask children how they think the Rainbow Fish feels. (frightened... surprised etc)
“The Rainbow Fish goes to the octopus for advice, who would you go to if you needed
help? Do you think the Rainbow Fish will do what the octopus tells him?”
Talk with the children about the Rainbow Fish sharing a shiny scale with the little blue
fish. “What do you think the Rainbow Fish is feeling when the little blue fish thanks
him and swims away happily?”
When you get to the final page, ask about the difference of the appearance of the fish.
Turn back to the beginning of the book so children can contrast how the fish look then,
and compare them to how they look at the end of the story. (Rainbow Fish has less shiny
scales, the other fish each have one.)
Note: Ask the children to respond to all or some of the open-ended questions below. As they
share, write down the children’s responses on a large sheet of paper or a whiteboard (a mind
map works well). Use one of the questions as your small group activity, prompting the children
to draw a picture and write or dictate their responses.
 Rainbow Fish shared a shiny scale with each friend. Draw and write: What
could you share with a friend? (picture prompt paper available from the FLRC)
Questions about sharing:
 What are times when you didn’t feel like sharing?
 How would you feel if you were the Rainbow Fish?
 Would you share your pretty scales with your friends?
 If you were Rainbow Fish’s friend, how would you feel if Rainbow Fish didn’t want to
share his scales with you?
 What would you do if you didn’t want to share what you were playing with?
 What did Rainbow Fish do when no one wanted to play with him? (he asked for help)
 Tell children: “First he asked the starfish and then the wise octopus. Explain that they
could do what Rainbow Fish did and ask a teacher or one of their friends for help.
This is a great opportunity to discuss how it is sometimes really hard to share!
Questions about the importance of friendship:
 What do you think it means to be a good friend?
 How can you show someone you want to be a friend?
 Can you think of any class rules that help us be friends?
 What do you do at home that is kind and friendly?
Related
Finger-play or
Song


“Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
“Slipper y Fish”
In the Classroom
Nutrition experience

Library area

Fish in a Pond (recipe card)

Goldfish Cracker Trail Mix
Combine goldfish crackers a
variety of savory foods (cheerios, pretzels, other
cereal), sweet foods (raisins and other dried
fruits). Nuts may also be included for added
protein.
* Send home the bilingual recipe card when you read the
book and/or make the recipe.
Math and manipulative


Sequence realistic photos of
sea creatures Rainbow Fish
meets into the order he
encounters them.
Make sets of goldfish crackers
organized by numbers, colors,
etc.
Dramatic play
Science area


Act out story giving parts to
different children (rainbow fish
will give stickers for shiny
scales)
Set up a tropical fish store
where children can pretend to
purchase fish, food, bowl,
water, choose color etc.
Ocean in a Bottle
Fill a plastic soda bottle with a small
amount of sand (about 2 Tbs). Add
glitter and small seashells. Fill the bottle about 1/3 of the way with
water. Add a few drops of food coloring to create blue ocean water.
Finally, fill the bottle to the top with the oil. Secure the bottle top on
tightly. You may even want to glue it on or secure it with colored
duct tape. Now, shake it up and watch your ocean come to life!
Art area



Check related book list for other stories to have
on your bookshelf (you can give the book list to
your librarian to reserve copies of these books in
advance and also check with the Family Literacy
Office).
Family Literacy Office has flannel board figures
for this (and other) stories.
Paper Plate Fish
Cut paper plate as shown above. Decorate with cut tissue paper,
aluminum foil, add a googly eye, punch a hole in the top, and suspend
with yarn/string.
 CD Fish Mobile
Decorate shiny side of an old CD with beads, sequins and/or glitter.
Add tails and fins cut from paper or felt. Glue another CD on the back
side. Add googly eyes. Suspend from ceiling with fishing line.
Fish Collage/Group Activity
Make a large fish shape on
butcher paper.
Using half circles made with
construction
paper, have children work
together to make
shimmering, glittery fish scales.
They can
decorate their scales with glitter,
pictures, foil,
stickers, markers, etc. As they
are decorating
their scales, point out how they are sharing and working together like
friends do. Help children attach each scale to the large fish shape. Ask
children what they could share with a friend and write it on the scale they
have decorated.
Block area
Tell the children that they are going to build a pretend
ocean with the blocks just like the one that Rainbow Fish
and his friends lived in. Help children put the blocks in a
circle to make the ocean. Explain that they are now going
to go fishing in the ocean. Put metal fruit juice can lids
with pictures of the children glued to the top of the lids in
the “ocean” (prepare the picture lids ahead of time).
Using a fishing pole with a magnet, children can go
“fishing for friends”. After they catch a friend, they can
do something special with their friend during the day.
Talk to the children about what kinds of things they can
do with their friends. Remind them about the ideas on
their “fish friends” list. At the end of the day, have
children share what kinds of special things they did with
their friends.
Sensory table

Put sand, water, and rocks in the sensory table.
Add plastic sea creatures.
Music/Movement


Play different kinds of music and using the book
as a guide, have children move like different sea
creatures in the story.
Pass out photos of sea creatures, have each child
move like the animal in the picture.
Small Group Activity
Explain to children that they are going to make a
Rainbow Fish book about what it means to be a good
friend. Have fish shapes cut out of different colored
construction paper with “I am a good friend when I ...”
written on each fish. Talk to children about what kinds
of things a good friend might do. Have them think about
their friends. What do their friends do that make them
feel really special? Help them write their thoughts on
each fish. They can also draw pictures and decorate their
fish pages. When they are finished, put all of the pages
together to make a book. Read the book during large
group time and then put it in the book area so children
can read their Rainbow Fish book throughout the year.
 Draw and Write: If you could have a zoo
animal for a pet, what would it be? (picture
prompt paper available at FLRC)
 Using realistic photo kits, create matching,
sequencing, and bingo games. You can make
them using this website:
http://www.eslactivities.com/picturebingo.ph
p#
Field trip or special guest


Bus curriculum
Visit the Madison Zoo’s aquarium displays.
Visit a pet store, such as PetsMart.


Sing the song “Slippery Fish.”
Remember to bring a copy of the book with you
on the bus.
Adaptations of Activities
Assessments
Social /
Emotional
Needs
Infant /
Toddler
•Use fish-shaped sponges to print paint on large paper.
•Finger -paint with blue paint on the sensory table. Then press paper down onto the designs
they’ve made and pull it up, creating a print of their creations. Collage with cutouts of fish
and other sea creatures to create a mural.
School- age
•Use book-related word search (FLRC).
•Use picture prompt question—provide Magic Paper from the FLRC, as well as markers,
then ask students to share their responses through drawing and writing.
Cultural
Adaptations
•Get a large world map and put pictures on each ocean of native species found within them.
•Talk about what kinds of seafood people eat in different ethnic food traditions.
Activities for
volunteers
•Read the book using the tips in the “As you read” and “Reinforce what’s learned” portion
of the teachers’ curriculum.
•Have the child/children retell the story using flannel board pieces or stick puppets
(available from the FLRC).
 Draw and Write: Rainbow Fish shared a shiny scale with each friend.
What could you share with a friend? (picture prompt paper available at
FLRC)
For the Parent-Child Activity
Group Read
Aloud

Bring in the realistic photos of sea creatures and plants to pass out to families. As
you read the story, prompt families to hold up their pictures when they are
mentioned. Also, act out the motions of the various fish and stress to your audience
that they should try to act out how they think the characters feel as the story
progresses (sad…jealous…proud…angry…etc)


Take Home or
Table based
activity ideas
Make paper plate or CD Rainbow Fish as described in the Art area.
Use copy-ready templates (FLRC) to make stick puppets or a mini-book for
retelling the story.
For Parenting Education
Parenting
Message

Sharing is hard for young children. Use this story to demonstrate to your child the
benefits of sharing.
Home Visit


Bring a copy of the book, the related Parent Book Letter and recipe card.
You may wish to bring materials for stick puppets or for making a zip lock bag
book (FLRC).
Parent Group
Note: One of the best ways for parents to learn is through sharing their strategies
with each other, because the most relevant and useful ideas often come from the
parents themselves. Be sure to listen and record ideas from the group itself, giving the
majority of the time to their thoughts; they will usually bring up the points you want
to mention naturally, and you can just fill in any gaps at the end.
Helping Children Learn to Share
Ask parents to brainstorm ideas on helping their children learn to share. Make a list of
parents’ ideas. Hand out copies of Parents As Teachers’ parent letter on Sharing ( or other
parenting information on the topic).
Some points to add as they come up naturally in the discussion are:
 Distract young child with another activity
 Try to keep multiple sets of toys in demand
 Use a timer to let children know when it’s another child’s turn
 Older children can be taught to negotiate their own method for sharing items
For Adult Education
ESL



Review different colors, talk about using “light” or “dark” to describe colors.
Have students describe what colors they are wearing.
Make a list of nouns that are “red”, continue until you’ve got a few words under
each color of the rainbow.
GED


What causes the differences among fish? Colors, scales, fins, etc.
Identify the different species shown.
Financial
Literacy/Personal
Development
Vocabulary from Rainbow Fish
G
Z
F
J
T
O
U
A
U
A
Y
U
D
S
S
Y
N
Z
A
S
V
O
D
Q
T
Z
M
E
P
E
S
O
I
L
M
C
M
M
J
U
Y
U
L
N
N
Y
H
W
R
T
F
H
I
Z
F
R
C
I
Q
Z
F
P
I
O
E
G
F
R
Q
P
V
Z
G
Q
H
M
P
P
M
E
T
U
E
H
E
U
L
H
Z
M
S
U
K
Y
M
L
T
Z
Z
D
I
S
T
L
W
S
Z
G
L
L
E
A
I
S
L
J
H
E
D
I
D
E
Z
A
M
A
R
C
L
K
R
R
D
D
C
D
E
Z
Z
I
H
W
I
S
G
Z
Y
G
E
O
H
T
L
I
E
E
W
F
N
R
W
W
W
K
J
L
W
C
H
D
O
D
V
Z
G
N
Z
M
C
I
C
W
Z
I
G
N
I
L
Z
Z
A
D
V
O
E
A
I
L
Q
S
H
S
I
F
R
A
T
S
H
N
X
G
U
A
U
F
I
N
E
I
Z
G
U
S
F
Find the following words and circle them:
ADMIRE
DELIGHTED
GLITTERING
AMAZED
FIN
OCTOPUS
DAZZLING
GLIDE
SCALE
SHIMMERING
WHIZZED
SHOCKED
STARFISH
Solution
G
+
+
+
+
+
+
A
+
+
+
+
D
+
+
+
N
+
+
+
+
O
D
+
+
+
+
E
+
+
S
+
I
+
+
C
+
M
+
+
+
+
L
+
+
+
H
+
R
T
+
+
I
+
+
+
+
I
+
+
+
+
I
O
E
+
+
R
+
+
+
+
G
+
+
+
+
P
M
E
T
+
E
+
+
+
+
H
+
+
+
U
+
+
M
L
T
+
+
+
+
+
T
+
+
S
+
+
+
+
E
A
I
+
+
+
+
E
+
+
D
E
Z
A
M
A
R
C
L
+
+
+
D
D
+
D
E
Z
Z
I
H
W
I
S
G
+
+
+
E
+
+
+
+
+
+
E
+
+
N
+
+
+
+
K
+
+
+
+
+
D
+
+
+
+
G
+
+
+
C
+
+
+
+
I
G
N
I
L
Z
Z
A
D
+
O
+
(Over,Down,Direction)
ADMIRE(1,8,E)
AMAZED(9,6,N)
DAZZLING(13,12,N)
DELIGHTED(1,13,E)
FIN(15,6,S)
GLIDE(15,2,SW)
GLITTERING(10,10,NW)
OCTOPUS(2,7,NE)
SCALE(10,9,NW)
SHIMMERING(3,1,SE)
SHOCKED(15,14,W)
STARFISH(14,13,N)
WHIZZED(10,7,N)
+
+
L
+
+
H
S
I
F
R
A
T
S
H
+
+
G
+
+
+
F
I
N
+
+
+
+
+
S
+
References
Teachers and Staff of Dane County Parent Council, Inc.
Blog Rainbow Fish collage: http://jennicanknit.blogspot.com/2013/07/rainbow-fish.html
Blog CD Rainbow Fish: http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2011/11/easy-rainbow-fish-cd-craft.html
Blog paper plate Rainbow Fish: http://artscraftsideas.blogspot.com/2010/08/paper-plate-fish.html
Blog ocean in bottle: http://naturallynourishing.com/kids-crafts-for-a-rainy-summer-day/
Blog dramatic play: http://www.bcps.org/offices/assistech/pdf/rainbow_fish_pdf/extenstion_activities.pdf