Marcus Pfister

You know author Marcus Pfister even if you think you don’t: He’s the genius behind the children’s classic The Rainbow Fish. And like The Rainbow Fish, Pfister’s latest A Penguin Like Me will be heading toward the banned-books lists that are proliferating across America.

That’s because the inclusivity that will make readers adore this book — different colors, interests, autism, sensory issues, sexuality, extrovert vs. introvert, disabilities, etc. — are sure to put this show more delightful picture book in the crosshairs of self-appointed censors and their Star Chambers of choice. It’s too bad, as I like this Penguin-palooza even more than The Rainbow Fish. “A penguin is a penguin is a penguin” says the blurb for A Penguin Like Me. Would that more people understood that!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and NorthSouth Books in exchange for an honest review. show less

OK, it's pretty. But it's message is highly peculiar - give away what makes you special to make others like you. It's not possible and that's not how group dynamics work.

I came across this book recently while going through old Scholastics lists, and it instantly brought back some fond memories. But I was surprised to see that a 1-star review is the most liked one here, so instead of rating this book a three and moving on, I found a pdf of the book on an archive site to read.

And I agree with the more critical reviewers. Through the eye-catching artwork, this book is essentially a favorable view of conformity and prejudice. It also fits right in with that show more "everyone is special" message that I was often subject to while growing up. Inevitably, there will be times in life when it's smarter to blend in rather than stick out, but Pfister either doesn't care about showing a bit more depth to the matter, or he believes that the jealousy and pressure exerted by the other fish is a valid way to treat those who are different.

This is almost like a modern retelling of the story of Jacob and Joseph from the Bible, except instead of his brothers pushing Joseph into the well, Joseph tears his multi-colored cloak apart and gives pieces of it to his jealous brothers in order to make them happy (although Joseph's sordid tale also brings up the matter of favoritism). And Seuss already satirized something like this with his own story, "The Sneetches". Some of Roald Dahl's stories must've, too, but I can't think of any at the moment. If only Pfister showed an honest continuation of the rainbow fish's life, we would probably witness a lot of the fish's inner turmoil and regret.

At least the art's not too bad. It's much better than the story and its questionable ideas. show less

3.5/5*
In this man versus nature story, Rainbow Fish is swept up into a large net from a fishing boat. He, his friends and neighbors work frantically to try to get free, while he attempts to understand what is happening.

This is a good story for a discussion of environmental responsibility and teamwork.

The story is more appropriate for a 6-8 year old age group because the vocabulary is above the scope of a preschooler. It also switches back and forth between calling a ship a “floating show more island” and using terms like “shoal”, “extinction”, “trawl net”, “seabed” and “inhabitants”. A glossary might be a helpful addition for these terms.

This is not my favorite Rainbow Fish book. The writing is a bit disjointed and seems awkward in some places. The text still needs editing, especially for punctuation, tense and clarity. As always, the illustrations continue to be exceptional for this series.

I received this book from the publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review. show less