My four-year-old really likes the original rainbow fish story. She enjoyed this one as well admittedly not quite as much, the storyline was a little more advanced for her to completely understand. She still likes pretty simply stories. However, I liked it. I believe it is a good lesson on team work with how well all the different sea creatures and fish worked together to get out of a sticky situation with the Rainbow fish leading the way.

This Rainbow Fish book has beautiful artwork. The story itself may be a little scary for some young readers. The adventure too suspenseful for some young readers. Ultimately it's a great story of using your head to solve a problem and trusting yourself and your abilities.

-3.5 stars
-Still good read and keeps try to the rainbow fish artwork

In the description mentions this book is to encourage care and respect for the ocean & the creatures, which to an extent it does but it does lack a brief mention of the consequences besides the fishing disappearing. Not really for kids 3 and under, as I don't think they would quite understand the message, but just enjoy the fish and colorful pictures.

Be good for an introduction to young kids who will be learning about environmental topics though.

I grew up reading the rainbow fish so I'm happy to see it continue to live on in newer books that I can share with my children. The great escape teaches respect for the ocean and its fishy inhabitants, but more than that it teaches about working together, helping each other and the importance of clear thinking during hectic situations.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. Rainbow Fish is taking on environmental concerns as a trawler is fishing in the sea destroying his home and causing fish to flee. This book has some “big” words for our little people, but it’s teaching them an important lesson about protecting our environment.

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth publishing for the opportunity to read this early edition.

It is the 10th book in the beloved series (and while I’m not the biggest fan of sea life, these stories always surprise me).
I appreciate how this one highlights kindness, quick thinking, and the power of teamwork, even among very different creatures. A gentle reminder that collaboration helps us not just survive, but thrive.

Good Story, Not My Favortie-
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 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.

ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review, opinion and notes.

This book is a nice follow-up to a classic. Typically, the first book is read to children in Grade 1, maybe 2 (in Canada). Due to the vocabulary in this book (idyllic, harmony, shoals, trawl etc.) this book would be more appropriate for Grade 3-4 since most students at this age will need a discussion to facilitate the implied meaning of these words. The story has bright, colourful illustrations and the pacing is good to keep students engaged during the entirety of the book.

Storygraph review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/b366aeae-a5f4-4c74-8dfc-2dd44470dca8?redirect=true

A really cute story about the Rainbow Fish (is it really in its 10th installment now?) and his friends, with some messaging about human impact on the environment and the power of helping your friends and community. I thought that the theme about taking care of the ocean could have been more developed, and there could have been more to the lesson learned. For the most part, this is an enjoyable tale for kids. The illustrations are true to the original Rainbow Fish story and really striking.

Special thanks to NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

This book couldn't be more timely for me as I live in North Carolina and we are having a massive trawling debate. My son was a little confused by what it was but it's a great introductory book to understanding the problems of weighted nets on the ocean floor.

Rainbow Fish and his friends head into another adventure with golden friendship and a little tension, too.

Rainbow Fish and his friends live in a type of paradise in their area of the ocean. Of course, they hear about nets and other horrible things from passing fish, but these seem more like tales and myths, since Rainbow Fish and his friends have never seen anything like that where they live. When a huge school of fish swims toward them in full panic, Rainbow Fish and his friends get caught up in the pack. Before they know what's happening, a huge net engulfs everyone. And it doesn't seem like any of them are going to be able to escape.

This is an exciting addition to the Rainbow Fish series. The first pages bring a smile to the face as readers get to spend a few pleasant moments with Rainbow Fish and his friends, simply enjoying the sea and the wonderful life of nature around them. The sense of security and rightness with the world offer a lovely platform before things take a more chaotic turn. When the huge amount of fish swim right at them, the tension soars. While Rainbow Fish and his friends might be confused about what's happening, the reader will recognize the danger right away. It's hard to see how everything will turn out fine, when Rainbow Fish stares between the net's ropes...and the worry comes across clearly. So, the adventure is well done and keeps the pacing high while staying in the comfort zone for the intended age group.

The illustrations are as bright and lively as always, and it's nice to see those shining scales on Rainbow Fish and his friend—a warming nod to their constant friendship. The text is on the slightly heavier side and works those vocabulary skills, but not so much so that it grows frustrating. It's great for the older end of the age group to pick up and read on their own, and it also makes an exciting read aloud for story time.

There are a few messages worked into the tale to give it goodness on that end as well. There's the message of friendship, learning to think out of the box, and, the most obvious, environmental issues surrounding certain types of fishing. But most importantly, it's a fun read.

This was the sweetest story, my daughter loved all the gorgeous photos and the story about the beautiful rainbow fish

The illustrations for this book are stunning, as always with the Rainbow Fish series. I read this book with my 4 year old and it was quiet an emotional read but left him with so many questions about why this was happening and what was going to happen to the fish now. I appreciate that this book is a good introduction into commerical fishing and the damage it can cause. I would have loved to have some more information included about the consequences and how we can work towards more sustainable fishing.

This Rainbow Fish story has an important topic of fish nets and bycatch, which is a bit off for the target age range, and the series' usual focus on social skills. The illustrations are wonderful as always, and the story carries a good message about teamwork and ocean conservation.

Thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc.for an advanced reading copy of this book. Rainbow fish and the great escape will be available for purchase on October 7, 2025.

I am a new librarian at my elementary school. We have all the rainbow fish books, and I’m excited that I will be able to add this one to our collection. This book talks about how commercial fishing not only disrupts the pattens of the fish living in the ocean; but also how it destroys the wildlife and plant life as well.

Beautiful illustrations and an easy to follow story make this one a story for all ages to appreciate!

A book that can be read in under five minutes. Great illustrations with plenty of color. May inspire critical thinking about fishing sustainability and methods.

I’ve loved all of the rainbow fish books and this one was no exception. What a stark reminder of how humanity is destroying our ocean habitats. Hopefully reading this to our little ones grow up learning to respect the ocean and its habitats.

The illustrations are, as always, beautiful, however, this story is missing a clear lesson or greater message for children to go forward with. Essentially, the Rainbow Fish rescues his friends from being captured in a fishing net. While the fish survived this terrible encounter, their home is destroyed and the practice of fishing is likely to continue. The story ends celebrating their escape but without speaking to the enduring consequences of this day - where will the fish go from here? How will they live in this destroyed landscape? What will they do if this happens again? I'm not sure what we learned from this. The writing could have perhaps better emphasized the role of teamwork to overcome challenges, perseverance to escape, or detailed steps the fish will take to make sure this does not happen again. Instead, it seems to fall flat and end abruptly. The text is also verbose and redundant at times. It could be edited to be more easily understandable for young readers - ie "trawl net" could simply be "net" and "bloomed and blossomed" could be one or the other.

Rainbow fish and his friends learn that the dangers to their habitat are real.
Many thanks to David Henry Wilson for his translation to English from the German.
The illustrations by the author are complex and with brilliant colors that make the message very clear. Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof, readers' advance copy from NorthSouth Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Oct 07, 2025 ***** review #goodreads #storygraph #NetGalley
#RainbowFishandtheGreatEscape by @marcus_pfister and David Henry Wilson (Translator) #RainbowfishSeriesBk10 @northsouthbooks #librarything #childrensbookillustration #kidlit #overfishing #family @childrensbookcouncil #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @freetheocean #ReadBannedBooks @stopfactorytrawlerbycatch @savetheoceans_ #workingtogether

As always with Rainbow Fish books, the illustrations in this book were gorgeous!
I loved the use of words like idyllic followed by a clear definition of the word! This is great for teaching new vocabulary without it necessarily feeling like learning.
The author did a good job of conveying the effect of something like a trawling net to young readers, without making the book too dense or heavy. Overall, I think this book will be great for encouraging young readers to consider how their actions affect others, while also educating them on environmental matters like our effect on the ocean's ecosystem.