Trevor

= =  **The Rainbow Fish**

**Context:**
Marcus Pfister is a Swiss author and illustrator of children’s picture books. //The Rainbow Fish// was his worldwide success which was translated in over 80 languages. 15 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide. Marcus Pfister was born on the 30th of July in 1960 in Bern, Switzerland. He has obtained a variety of awards including the //Christopher Award//, the //ABBY Award//, the //Reader’s Choice Award//, the //Children’s Choice Award// and the //Storytelling World Award//. -Wer ist mein Freund? 1986 -Die müde Eule 1986 -Die vier Lichter des Hirten Simon 1986 -Pinguin Pit 1987 -Wie Sankt Nikolaus einen Gehilfen fand 1987 -Pits neue Freunde 1988 -Biber Boris 1988 -Pit und Pat 1989 -Mirjam's Geschenk 1989 -Zottel 1990 -Sonne und Mond 1990 -Hoppel 1991 -Weißt du wieviel Sternlein stehen? 1991 -Hoppel findet einen Freund 1992 -Der Regenbogenfisch 1992 -Rainbow Fish 1992 -Hoppel und der Osterhase 1993 -Pit ahoy! 1993 -Der Weihnachtsstern 1993 -Papa Pit und Tim 1994 -Till & Willy 1994 -Der kleine Dino 1994 -Hoppel lernt schwimmen 1995 -Regenbogenfisch, komm hilf mir! 1995 -Lieber Nikolaus, wann kommst du? 1996 -Hoppel weiss sich zu helfen 1997 -Mats und die Wundersteine 1997 -Wie Leo wieder König wurde 1998 -Der Regenbogenfisch stiftet Frieden 1998 -Kleiner Bär ich wünsch dir was 1999 -Der glückliche Mischka 2000 -Mats und die Streifenmäuse 2000 -Hallo Freund!!! 2001 -Der Regenbogenfisch hat keine Angst mehr 2001 -Der Regenbogenfisch lernt zählen 2001 -Das Regenbogenfisch-Puzzlebuch 2002 -Das magische Buch 2003 -Henri der Künstler 2004 -Timo und Matto 2005 -Ein Glücksstern für Lukas 2005 -Der Regenbogenfisch kehrt zurück 2006 -Charly im Zoo 2007 -Ab ins Bett, Nils! 2008 -Monster-Party 2008
 * Author:** Marcus Pfister
 * Books by Marcus Pfister:**
 * What culture and historical period was this book written in?**

**Personal:**
I chose this book because it was the first picture book that I ever remember listening to. I remember this book being read to me in kindergarten as well as primary school. This book was one of my fondest books as a child. This book was appealing to me because it was simple and the text was not exhausting to read. The pictures were creatively illustrated and the storyline seemed enjoyable for an audience. I believe that this book is one of the best picture books ever created. This book has a lot of meaning to me. It has taught me the significance of sharing and the importance of friendship. This book signifies how important it is to be accepted and the happiness that other people bring to your life. I enjoyed this book as a child because of the storyline and the happiness experienced by the rainbow fish at the end of the story. The story emphasises that selfishness and narcissism can lead to loneliness whereas generosity and kindness will allow a person to make friends and truly be happy in life.
 * Why did I choose this book?**
 * What does this book mean to me?**

**Meaning**
There are many morals incorporated through the story. The story teaches readers that selfishness and vanity can lead to loneliness. This is evident when the other fish swim away from Rainbow Fish after he refuses to share his scales. Another message that the story holds is that sharing brings happiness to everyone. At the end of the story, Rainbow Fish is happy and proud after sharing his scales with the other fish. He feels accepted by the other fish and gains many friends. This story allows readers to understand that acceptance can be found through sharing and generosity. Another moral behind the story is that being an equal part of a group is more important than being a narcissistic individual. Visual features of the book involve cool colours and simple objects that are easily visible. The colours are faded into each other and are not overly bright. This is vital because bright, vibrant colours can be distracting for young children causing the children to engage in the colours rather than the actual story. The cool colours used in the book are relevant to the setting and place of the story. The text is of a medium size and is helpful for readers because it allows people to read the words without the need of squinting. The language used is very descriptive and many adjectives are used in the text. The text relates to the pictures and allows readers to interpret the images with more clarity. The simplicity of the words used allows a younger audience to understand the story more clearly. = =
 * What are the messages or meanings in the book?**
 * What are the visual and language features and how do they work to create meaning?**