You can't win them all, Rainbow fish by Marcus Pfister.
A brand new paperback title in the bestselling Rainbow Fish series!
Everyone loses once in a while. But being a good sport when you lose isn't always easy--not even for Rainbow Fish. A lighthearted look at accepting loss without losing your sparkle!
A really good children's book. My girls loved the illustrations. 5*.

Rainbow Fish is having fun playing hide and seek until he loses the game. Will he learn how to be a good sport? This book has a pretty good message and of course, the shiny rainbow fish keeps your attention.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

The story is beautifully illustrated and the text is presented in a clear, easy to read font that will help younger readers. It is a great story in its own right but could also be used to help children understand how important it is to be a good sport and to be considerate of the feelings of others.

Another great story about Rainbow Fish! Between the beautiful illustrations and gentle storyline, preschool age children will love this story. The lesson being a good sport is presented in an easy to understand manner. Recommended for all young children.

My students love the Rainbow Fish series. I have them all in my collection. I can't wait to purchase this one too!

So, everybody loves Rainbow Fish, right? What's NOT to love about the original? You Can't Win Them All, Rainbow Fish is a new(ish) (2017) book in the Rainbow Fish series and aims to teach another moral lesson -- in this case, how not to be a sore loser, basically. Most kids are familiar with Rainbow Fish (I think each of my kids has come home from school with Rainbow Fish artwork at least once), so it's a great way to keep them engaged and learning through a familiar character, but to me this one lacked the charm of the original. Worse, to me it seemed a little forced. Perhaps I'm remembering the original too rosily (is that a word?), but this just didn't measure up for me. The kids were engaged, but haven't asked to read it again. So, I give it two stars and I think I'd get a similar opinion from the kids.

First this review my be a little biased as I love rainbow fish as a kid and as an adult my children all love rainbow fish as well. In my opinion and my children's this book is awesome I love the ad story and the lesson it teaches we probably read it 10 times in a row one night before bed thank you for this opportunity

Rainbow Fish is playing hide and seek with his friends anticipating that he will be the winner. Unfortunately, when he is "it" he can't find any of the other fish. They don't appear to be in their usual hiding places. Then it's Little Blue's turn and Rainbow Fish spots the perfect location that no one would suspect, except, surprise, Little Blue discovers him right away. Rainbow Fish immediately accuses Little Blue of cheating and angrily swims off, refusing to play with the others. The tiny fellow, at first feeling so proud of his accomplishment since he has never won at this game before, is devastated. Red Fin decides to sit down with Rainbow Fish and explain the concept of Sportsmanship, explaining that sore losers spoil everyone's fun with their bad attitudes. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but either way you need to be a good sport and not hurt others feelings by acting selfishly. Rainbow Fish rejoins the group, apologizes, and all is forgiven.

Yes it is common for children to be sore losers and to "pick up their marbles and go home" when the game doesn't seem to be going their way. We do need good role models (especially since some adults haven't yet learned this simple childhood lesson) and reminders of the proper etiquette regarding playtime. Yet You Can't Win Them All, Rainbow Fish, while a good concept, tends to be quite wordy with plenty of preaching to reach the goal of "plays well with others". Of course, Marcus Pfister has a limited number of pages to get his point across, but he needs to get the job done with a subtle hand and not an iron fist. When I read this to my preschool grandson, I had to paraphrase the text to keep his interest (and this message was explicitly written with him in mind - which is probably why he didn't want to hear it).

While I have questioned the essence of Rainbow Fish from the beginning (why was he forced to give away those beautiful gills he was gifted with at birth in order to be accepted by his peers?), I never doubted the excellence of the colorful, appealing art work which Pfister has painstakingly created bringing the ocean to life through his watercolors and overlays. Who doesn't peruse these vibrant picture books with awe as they thumb through the pages, relishing the simple multi-hued illustrative details which appeal to both young and old.

So while the theme and illustrations are worthy, the text itself is a little weak in its content. Still, for schools (or families) looking to provide character building literature, this one fits the bill.

Four stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've discovered this wonderful story when I was a little girl and having the possibility of living again that childhood magic was absolutely incredible ♥

I used to read rainbow fish books to my children who are now both at university. I work with primary school children and this story covers a common theme. I will definitely read it to the children in scool this week.
A beautiful book.
Thank you NetGalley & Marcus Pfister for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

This little lesson from Rainbow Fish came at a perfect time for us - we're currently talking quite a bit about feelings, and how it's ok to be angry/jealous/sad/embarrassed sometimes. Rainbow Fish's outburst when playing with his friends - and the resolution - also gave us an opportunity to talk about how these feelings might make us behave and how to deal with having acted in a way we wished was different.

We thought this was a really sweet and fun book - just like I'd expect from Rainbow Fish! =)

You Can’t Win Them All, Rainbow Fish, written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister, is the newest installment in the Rainbow Fish series. Parents might remember the original Rainbow Fish book from their childhood. And while this book, isn’t as wonderful as the original, it is still a charming tale with lovely illustrations. The message is pretty straightforward, so it might feel a little preachy to young readers. Fans of Rainbow Fish will enjoy this book and parents will appreciate the opportunity to share a childhood favorite with their own children.

A cute story that continues the saga of our friend Rainbow Fish. This story revolves around the theme of being a good sport when playing with friends. The illustrations are colorful and add to the story.

With a beloved character and beautiful illustrations, this is a great follow-up for fans of Rainbow Fish. I read this book with my 6 year old daughter and she said she loved it almost as much as the original. She could relate to Rainbow Fish's situation, dealing with not always winning, and commented and gave her opinions throughout the book. As her Mom, I liked that the book dealt with a common issue for this age-group in a way the opens up conversation and kids can easily relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book about winning and loosing that teaches its readers a important life lesson. The beautiful illustrations would attract a child's attention and would help them to follow the story.

rainbow fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nothing more needs to be said, right?! thanks netgalley!

Cute story with a lesson about accepting loss and being a good sport. Excellent for storytime about sportsmanship.

This is a brilliant addition to the Rainbow Fish stories with a serious message delivered in a way that young listeners and readers will find easy to relate to. It is targeted at children aged 4 - 8 years old. In this story Rainbow Fish  doesn’t like losing when playing a game with his friends and his attitude spoils the enjoyment for everyone. He complains that the game isn’t fair and refuses to play any more. One of his friends follows him and they discuss how nice it is for someone else to win for a change. His friend also helps him apologise to the others. The message is to be a good sport, especially when you loose and it is put over in a manner that children will easily understand and relate to.

The story is beautifully illustrated and the text is presented in a clear, easy to read font that will help younger or less able readers.It is a great story in its own right but could also be used to help children understand how important it is to be a good sport and to be considerate of the feelings of others. This is definitely one that teachers of younger pupils should check out IMHO!

I requested and was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of this novel via NetGalley; this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it. It is a lovely children’s book that I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

It was just average to me. I will order it for the library and I think it will check out. I can see me using it in a story time relating to feelings or bullying.

Adorable book showcasing the need for being a good team player, and being a good sport no matter how the event goes. I loved that the message wasn't overtly obvious, because those always felt condescending to me as a child. While the message is obviously the point of the book, it isn't in your face - especially as it's presented in the premise of children playing hide and seek. Everything is SO relatable that you have to love it.

As expected, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. My son loved it.