Marcus Pfister

Marcus Pfister (born July 30, 1960, in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss author and illustrator of children’s picture books, best known for creating The Rainbow Fish and its sequels, including Rainbow Fish Big Book. He studied at the Art School of Bern and trained as a graphic designer before working in advertising in the early 1980s, then transitioned to freelance work and ultimately to writing and illustrating picture books full time.

Pfister’s first picture book, The Sleepy Owl, was published in 1986, but his international breakthrough came in 1992 with The Rainbow Fish, whose distinctive illustrations use techniques such as holographic foil to depict the character’s shimmering scales. He has since published dozens of children’s books, including series like Penguin Pete, Hopper, and further Rainbow Fish titles such as Rainbow Fish to the Rescue! and Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale; his works have been translated into over 50–60 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide. Pfister lives with his family in Bern, where he continues to create new picture books.