School Library Journal (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 2Traveling with his explorer dad, a boy discovers a strange creature who is half dog, half shark. Aptly named "Shark Dog," the animal swims underwater just like a typical shark but reverts to his canine instincts when he fetches slippers. Sometimes, Shark Dog's inclinations get him into big trouble, such as the time he grabs a tree trunk when all the other dogs are retrieving sticks. When Shark Dog starts missing others of his kind, he is brought back to Shark Dog Island only to prove that he is still not ready to leave his human buddy for good. The absurd notion of a semi-canine, semi-aquatic pet, complete with long, slobbery tongue and pointy, daggerlike teeth, will delight young readers who love land and sea creatures. Adamson's cheerful, full-color cartoon illustrations expertly depict the contrast, up to the final page, where Shark Dog's friends (fins extended) follow him home with his human companions. Fans of Eric Carle's The Mixed-Up Chameleon will enjoy this rollicking, goofy, wholly unconventional picture book. Young listeners may even pick up on the underlying message about fitting in. The story would also support a comparative unit on the differences between land mammals and ocean creatures. VERDICT A hilarious selection that's sure to please a picture book crowd, particularly one composed of children fascinated by dogs, sharks, or both.Etta Anton, Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Adamson-s narrator, a redheaded girl with a -famous explorer- for a father, discovers the species described in the title when he stows away on their boat-he has a shark-s bullet-shaped head, a terrier-s body, and big googly eyes. Shark Dog proves to be as disruptive a pet as he is loyal: he fetches an entire tree instead of the usual stick (-at the park, we didn-t stay long-) and stalks a cat through tall grass like the great white in Jaws. But when Shark Dog starts yearning for his own kind (an inflatable shark toy reminds him of his friends back home) the girl realizes that her pet might need to return to his former home. What follows, and the happy ending that ties it all up, suggests that Adamson (Douglas, You Need Glasses!) is more interested in chronicling the idiosyncratic slapstick of his hybrid hero (in a series of vignettes that goes on for a bit too long) than in exploring the bittersweet selflessness of recognizing that a wild animal belongs in the wild. Ages 4-8. Agent: Isabel Atherton, Creative Authors. (May)

ALA Booklist (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

How could a pet that is part shark, part friendly and slobbery dog be problematic, you ask? Readers who watch it "fetch" a whole tree in Adamson's bright, watercolor scenes, or spot a triangular fin cutting through water on a trip to a crowded beach (and through tall grass toward an unwary cat) may have an idea. Not that the red-haired child or her explorer dad, who have brought the creature back from an expedition to exotic climes, are particularly worried. What does have them fussed is their pet's sudden decline uld it be time to take the toothy tail-wagger back to its accustomed watery habitat? Young readers will be easily won over by the plump, eager, stubby-limbed pup d as delighted as the young narrator to see it leaping back aboard with its new friends after a joyful reunion with its amphibious pack mates. "I think Shark Dog made his mind up," says Dad. "It looks like you're his home now." Bad news for the neighborhood cats.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

A half sharkhalf dog creature follows an explorer and his child (the narrator) home; everything is great until the pet begins to feel homesick. They travel back to his native land, but Shark Dog decides to stay with his new family. The watercolor illustrations' humorous, cartoony style (especially in depicting googly-eyed Shark Dog) lighten this story of finding one's place in the world.

Kirkus Reviews

There's a new species of pet that may excite both fans of shark lore and pet escapades.A young girl and her explorer father, each redheaded and white, are on their boat near a tropical island when she discovers that a pet has adopted her. It is of a unique species: the titular shark dog. Its face, coloring, and fin are those of a shark, while its size, feet, and tail are those of a dog. Shark Dog is a difficult pet to handle when out for the usual pet activities. It uproots a tree instead of fetching a stick. It stalks a cat while moving through the grass with just its fin showing. It causes great consternation at the beach. Still, this is a happy pet tale. But then the question of removing species from their home waters raises its head. Shark Dog wants to go home, and its new family quite properly takes it back to its home territory. But this is not the end of the adventure, happily for all. Adamson's quiet little story combines two very popular animals, sharks and dogs, in a mildly entertaining tale of a family headed by a single dad. The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are colorful and give Shark Dog an endearing and smiling googly-eyed face. Pleasant fare with a possible ecological message. (Picture book. 4-6)