Sharks

July 1, 1992
PreS-Gr 3- A companion volume to Whales (Holiday, 1991), Sharks is less ebullient in feeling, probably because the subject is more alarmingly awesome. Gibbons again uses clear blues and greens and soft grays, but her palette is modified here with browns, startling touches of pink, orange, and yellow, and a sharp reduction of the frothy white of the earlier book. A few illustrations show sharks in somewhat contorted positions, giving odd angles to caudal appendages. The information is specific and generally accurate, although sources consulted referred to months rather than the "few weeks" Gibbons gives sharks' "thorny cased eggs" to develop and hatch. The data is often quite complex, and may be beyond a portion of the audience to which this format will have the most appeal. More informative than Cole's Hungry, Hungry Sharks (Random, 1986) or Selsam's A First Look at Sharks (Walker, 1979), this book is on par with Waters's Sea Full of Sharks (Scholastic, 1990). It's sure to be in constant circulation. -Patricia Manning, Eastchester Public Library, NY

May 1, 1992
Gr. 2-4. Most libraries can always accommodate one more shark book--especially one written on a primary level. Gibbons offers basic anatomical and life-cycle information as well as specific facts about 12 common shark species. As always, her bold, appealing illustrations (many of them labeled and explained) are the strength of the presentation. An excellent choice for even the youngest shark fan, this will be useful for simple reports as well. ((Reviewed May 1, 1992))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1992, American Library Association.)