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1-Page Summary of The Rainbow Fish
Overall Summary
The Rainbow Fish is a cautionary tale about sharing. It follows the adventures of Rainbow Fish, who lives in the ocean and dazzles other sea creatures with his scales. He shares them until he has none left, then learns how to be selfish and get what he wants by himself.
The Rainbow Fish is a fish that is known for being the most beautiful in the ocean. He has scales of every color, including silver ones. At first, he’s proud of his looks and refuses to play with other fish because they’re not as pretty or interesting as him. One day, a blue little fish asks for one of his scales so it can look like Rainbow Fish too. The little fish argues that there are plenty of things on Rainbow Fish’s body to give away without hurting him at all. But when the little fish tells this news to the other fishes, they shun Rainbow Fish and turn their backs on him whenever he approaches them because they don’t want anything from “someone who gives away everything.”
Rainbow Fish is beautiful, but he doesn’t know it. He thinks everyone else looks better than him because they have many more scales. Therefore, Rainbow Fish becomes very lonely as nobody wants to play with him anymore. The starfish suggests that he goes and asks the octopus for advice on how to get his friends back.
Rainbow Fish finds the octopus’s cave. At first, he can’t see in the dark cave, but her bright eyes emerge. The octopus tells Rainbow Fish that she has been waiting for him after hearing his story from the waves. She thinks that if he gives one of his scales to each of the other fish, it will solve his problem and make him happy.
Rainbow Fish tells the octopus that he can’t give away his scales. She disappears, and a blue fish comes up to him asking for one of his scales. Rainbow Fish gives it to him happily because he feels good about giving charity.
The little blue fish flaunts his rainbow scales around the reef and soon becomes popular because of them. He shares his scales with everyone, becoming happier and happier. At the end of the book, Rainbow Fish looks around at all the other fish who have a scale from him and feels happy that he’s made so many friends. Throughout this story, Pfister teaches us that true happiness can’t be obtained by privilege or wealth but rather in what you share with your community.
