Independent Reading Level: Grades k-2
Awards: The Christopher Award, the Bologna Book Fair Critici in Erba Prize, American Booksellers Association ABBY Winner, and an IRA-CBC Children's Choice title

What a pretty book! I wish I were more comfortable with the message, which verges closer than I'm comfortable with on "give yourself away to make yourself popular". Maybe the full size version is more clear that the allegory is decrying selfishness and vanity rather than instructing children that making & keeping friends requires excising what makes you special.

For the right kid, this book is maaaybe a good nudge, in concert with a determined interpretation that the message of the book is "be kind to others". As a general library holding, the message makes me as a parent rather uncomfortable. ( )

A vain fish with beautiful colorful scales is told, essentially, to solve his unpopularity by giving away his beautiful scales. He does, and is very happy because he made so many other fishes happy. [return][return]Eh. I was underwhelmed. The book is illustrated beautifully, but the text was uninspiring. And what are we saying, here? That if you're beautiful or special you have to make yourself ugly or the same as everyone else to have friends? Shades of "Harrison Bergeron". [return][return]The idea that the fish is happy because he saw how happy he made the other fishes is great, but it doesn't really resolve the fundamental problem that was set up: He was vain and thought himself better than everyone else, and so was rude to them. And we're supposed to understand, from the other fish, perhaps that it's okay to put up with people being rude to you so long as they give you shiny stuff? [return][return]Maybe it's better in the original German. [return][return]I'll look for other books that do a better job of focusing on "sharing", without sub-themes of conformity and how to buy friendship. ( )

this book was one of my favorite books as a child. this book will be a learning book for kids. ( )

A beautiful fish has iridescent scales that shine as he glides in the water. But when he is mean to the other fish, he must learns a lesson about whether or not beauty is really very important. This book has a lot of good themes to teach young children such as beauty is only skin deep, the power of generosity, and how to make friends. ( )