PreS-Gr 1-The winsome and sensible fish who stole preschoolers' hearts in Rainbow Fish (1992) and Rainbow Fish to the Rescue (1995, both North-South) has returned. In this story, Rainbow Fish and his friends must share their food and their space with a gentle old whale who comes to their reef. The fish with the jagged scales complains that the blue whale is watching them, and soon everyone views the large mammal as an enemy. After a skirmish in which the whale scares all of the little fish into a cave, Rainbow Fish realizes that it is up to him to approach the larger animal and make peace. A heart-to-heart talk between the two reveals that the whale watched the fish only because he admired their beauty. Indeed, the holographic silver foil applied to the fins and scales of these expressive and colorfully illustrated fish is eye-catching. The glittering watercolor artwork of this book has the same child appeal of its popular predecessors. However, the story is thin, possessing more adjectives than action. Its moral theme of tolerance and communication, while admirable, can be found in at least a dozen better books. This one is for those already enamored of Rainbow Fish. It is not likely to win new fans.-Jackie Hechtkopf, Talent House School, Fairfax, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Always the peacemaker, Rainbow Fish swims in to settle a misunderstanding between his sparkly fish friends and a whale who has recently moved to their feeding ground and made them feel threatened. As in the previous Rainbow Fish books, the story is simplistic and takes a back seat to the tranquil but cutesy underwater world decorated with silver foil fish scales. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ages 3^-5. Rainbow Fish and his friends enjoy eating the krill, or tiny shrimp, that populate the ocean floor. When a big whale comes into the area, he starts eating krill, too. Soon the fish worry that he'll eat them, and they hide when he's around. The hurt whale pretends that is just what he's going to do, but in the end, Rainbow Fish and the whale have a laugh over the misunderstanding, and everything works out fine--except for the krill, of course. The message--don't make assumptions about creatures that are different--is slightly garbled, and the story itself bland. But the pictures are as shiny as ever, which is the main attraction, anyway. The artwork overall is quite winning. The double-page spreads drenched in underwater blues, greens, and lavenders are a nice, eye-catching size, making this a good choice for story hours. --Ilene Cooper

Pfister's winking do-gooder returns; Rainbow Fish and his pals find their krill-eating grounds mooched upon by a huge blue whale. The whale appears to mean no harm, and when the ``fish with the ragged fins'' calls him a ``wicked whale,'' his feelings are hurt. Accordingly, he menaces the school until Rainbow Fish enters into peace talks. Thereupon the scales are smoothed, the blowholes quieted, and the sea creatures return to a state of bliss: ``It was a wonderful life.'' It's almost painfully formulaic, but some children will never get enough of Rainbow Fish, who has now been promoted to ambassador of peace of the pelagic domain. (Picture book. 5-8)