Destini J Barclay
Danny and the
Rainbow Fish
Danny y el pez arcoíris
Danny and the Rainbow Fish is a bilingual English-Spanish picture book about a boy whose innocent game of feeding picnic food to gray river fish, turning them dazzling colors, spirals into pollution that nearly destroys their home, teaching kids that true beauty and friendship come from who you are, not how you look, and that small actions have real consequences for the world around you.
Meet The Author
Destini J Barclay
I am a disabled veteran and a mother. I am originally from New York and New Jersey, but the Air Force has brought me all over including Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. I have my masters degree in human resource management but originally started college as a double major in journalism and creative writing. Writing has always been a big passion of mine and after becoming disabled while in the service, I decided to reignite my passion. I am also the oldest of 4 and have worked with young children in daycare (newborns to 4 years old) from 14 years old to 21 years old. I love reading to kids and making up stories to keep them entertained and curious. I have decided to take those stories to paper and hope to share them with my daughter and all of the children across the world.
Why these books exist
Our Core Values
Vision
My hope is pretty simple. I want children to love stories. I want them to feel good about who they are and understand that being different is completely okay. And I want them to see that even small choices can make a difference.
Mission
I want to create stories that children actually want to sit down and read. Stories that make them curious. Stories that make them ask questions. And stories that leave them with something good to think about afterward.
Approach
I like stories that feel fun first, with a little something to learn along the way. Children don't need every story to feel like a lesson. Sometimes they just want to meet a funny character, see something unexpected, and find out what happens next.
About the Book
Danny and the Rainbow Fish
Danny was just having a normal picnic with his parents. Then, somehow, he dropped his pink bubble gum into the river. A fish ate it. And suddenly… the fish turned pink! Danny couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Then he met two talking fish, Oliver and Owen.
Danny had an idea. What if he gave the fish more food? So he did. Lettuce made one fish green. An apple made another fish red. Then came a banana. Blueberries. An orange. Even a plum. Before long, the river was full of colorful fish. Red, yellow, green, blue, orange, purple and pink. Danny loved it. But Owen kept trying to warn him. Something wasn’t right.
Story behind
I actually came up with this story in highschool. I was in AP Spanish and we were told to write a short story in Spanish. I had two pairs of twins in my class which is how I came up with the idea for brother fish who looked different. (I got an A for my story). I’ve always been creative, so the story came to me quickly. I randomly thought about it again as an adult, adjusted a few things and rewrote it in English and Spanish and was ready to share it with the world and my daughter.
Blogs
From the writing desk
There is always a story behind a story. Sometimes it starts with an idea. Sometimes it starts with a memory.
Why Reading Together Matters
There are a lot of things children remember from when they’re little. Some of them are big things. First days of school. Birthday parties. Trips. Holidays. But sometimes, it’s the really ordinary moments that stick around too. Sitting next to a parent at bedtime. Picking a favorite book from the shelf. Laughing at the same part of a story for the tenth time. Asking, “What happens next?” Those little moments might not seem like much
What Danny and the Rainbow Fish Can Teach Us
Sometimes a children’s book is just a fun story. And that’s perfectly fine. Kids should be able to open a book, see a bunch of colorful fish, laugh at something silly, and wonder what happens next without feeling like they’re sitting through a lesson. But every once in a while, a story can do both. It can be fun and still leave you thinking about something after you’ve closed the book. That’s what I hope
The Story Behind Danny and the Rainbow Fish
I actually came up with this story in highschool. I was in AP Spanish and we were told to write a short story in Spanish. I had two pairs of twins in my class which is how I came up with the idea for brother fish who looked different. (I got an A for my story). I’ve always been creative, so the story came to me quickly. I randomly thought about it again as an
Testimonials
What readers are saying
There is something pretty special about seeing a child enjoy a story. A laugh. A question.
