The Rainbow Fish
Book Description
The Rainbow Fish is a classic for a reason. It is a beautiful story about a beautiful fish who doesn’t understand why no one wants to be his friend. He begins the story as a selfish but beautiful fish. He learns to share, which enables him to make friends. This story has received some backlash in recent years by people saying it taught them as a kid that they had to give and give and give until nothing was left. I think those people missed the message. Giving to others brings joy, and young children need help learning to share. This book can help!
Grab your copy here.
Nonfiction Connecting Texts
Ocean: A Peak-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
Swim, Fish! (National Geographic Kids Readers, Pre-Reader): Explore the Coral Reef by Susan B. Neuman
Reading these books to and with your child will help them build and expand their vocabulary and background knowledge. These are two essential pieces of success in reading. Do not skip this step when teaching your child to read!
Reading and Comprehension Activities
You can purchase my Rainbow Fish Activities Bundle here. It includes:
an emergent reader
a first word/last word activity sheet that helps your child develop Concept of Word
comprehension discussion questions
a story element activity sheet
Craft Connection
Sponge painting our own rainbow fish
To make this craft:
Print out a fish template. I found many freely available to download online.
Cut out small pieces of aluminum foil to be the “shiny scales.” Prepare paint color choices, glue bottles, and small sponges.
Glue on the shiny scales first.
Sponge paint all over the fish. Little ones will need guidance to continue to stamp their sponges across the fish to get the desired effect.
Use a paper towel or cotton ball to wipe away the paint that sits on top of the shiny scales.
Let them dry fully, then cut out the fish.
The final image above shows my daughters’ finished fish. They were very proud of them, and I am very proud of my girls!
Field Trip Connection
We decided to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland for our Rainbow Fish field trip. We always love the aquarium, and we try to go at least once a year as a family. Remember to talk with your child about everything you see and any connections you make to the book while you are out—pretty soon they will start doing it independently.
Related Learning Games
This week I am also linking some fish and fishing related learning games for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Games make learning fun! Here are some of my favorites:
Happy reading! I hope your kids love these adventures, stories, and activities as much as my own did!
