Children will be immediately drawn to this book that features an iridescent, metallic-looking main character whose scales were every shade of blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales among them.''

Adult suspicions of the gimmick overwhelming the story quickly fade as the plot unfolds: none of the other fish will have anything to do with the Rainbow Fish, who always swims by superciliously and refuses to give away any of his special garb. He is lonely and without admirers until a wise female octopus advises him to give away his scales. Rainbow Fish then discovers that sharing brings happiness and acceptance.

The delicate watercolors of underwater scenes are a perfect foil to the glittering scales that eventually form a part of each fish's exterior.

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 gives the book its lasting value.