The Best Book of Sharks - Claire Llewellyn
Vivid artwork and facts about sharks.
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- Author:Claire Llewellyn
- # of pages: 28
- Publisher:Larousse Kingfisher Chambers Inc.
- Original Publication Date: 09/01/1999
- Genre: Non-Fiction - Animals
- Hardcover: $12.95
- Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: Ages 4-8
- Read Aloud: 6+
Parents need to know
Families can talk about sharks' reputation. Why are they so feared? Are our fears about sharks overblown? What most impresses you about these animals?
Message
Social Behavior:
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Violence
No blood, but one illustration shows several sharks biting into a tuna. The sharp teeth may frighten sensitive kids.
Sex
Reproduction is discussed briefly, and an illustration shows a baby shark emerging from its mother's womb.
Language
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Amy Brotman
Is it any good?
What child doesn't want to read about sharks--especially after viewing the cover illustration of a great white shark's jaws agape, ready to grab its next meal? The book is a brief overview of shark behavior and characteristics, and it will appeal to the casual reader.
Shark-related terms are defined in the text, which is generally clear and understandable for the target audience. One exception is the poor phrasing on the page discussing baby sharks: "The shark hatches out when it is almost fully grown, and swims off to hide somewhere safe." This sentence will have children imagining a six-foot shark hatching from its egg case.
The author includes topics most likely to appeal to children, including how sharks locate their prey, the structure of their teeth and jaws, and the potential for shark attacks on a humans. The more gruesome aspects of sharks are countered by addressing how scientists study sharks, and the fact that sharks may become endangered.
Attractive, clear illustrations show sharks swimming, attacking prey, and resting on the sea floor. Several drawings--usually one large and the remainder small--and two or three paragraphs of text appear on each two-page spread.
Readers may also want to read Seymour Simon's Sharks, illustrated with outstanding photographs. Older readers may enjoy Mary M. Cerullo's Sharks: Challengers of the Deep.
Parents and kids say



