Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Starred Review "Baby Shark" aside, most kids relish reading about man-eating, menacing sharks. This newest offering from the Newbery Medal winning duo of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page considers over 30 types of sharks that are extinct, endangered, or thriving, looking at their life cycles, habitats, diets, sizes, shapes, unique features, and threats to humans (as well as conservation statuses and threats from humans). As in previous offerings, glorious torn-paper collages spill across pages, complementing the fact-filled commentary that seems to reflect exactly the kinds of information kids want (in addition to fish, turtles, dolphins, and seals, tiger sharks have been known to eat bottles, shoes, toys, and license plates). Many illustrations include human silhouettes to help contextualize the different species, which range from huge whale sharks, the world's largest fish, to tiny, rare pocket sharks, small enough to fit into human hands (only two have ever been found). Double-page spreads concentrate on one aspect (adaptability, ancient relatives, record holders, etc.), a bibliography offers further reading selections, and a concluding chart offers quick comparisons of the 31 featured species. This is a handsome offering about a perennially popular subject.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

"Almost perfect predators" are made less fearsome through this pictorial introduction.Experts at the visual display of information return with this splendid album that presents 42 shark species, described and portrayed in torn- and cut-paper collage illustrations. Jenkins and Page have organized their information thoughtfully, spread by spread. They begin with species variety (headed with the evocative collective noun "a shiver of sharks") and end with a thought-provoking pairing: shark attacks and sharks in danger (mostly from humans). Along the way they cover general topics-size, child-bearing, diet, and feeding habits-before describing particular species. There is the great white shark, of course, and the gigantic whale shark, hammerheads and other sharks with odd shapes, sharks that glow in the dark, sharks that live in surprising places, shark ancestors, and record holders. Though two-dimensional, the artist's sharks are surprisingly realistic in their features, coloration, and shading. All images are carefully labeled and shown with a human silhouette for scale. Set on a plain background, each is glossed with an accompanying informational paragraph printed in a friendly, faux handwritten typeface. Some spreads include range maps. There's wonderful variety in these images. The basking shark, an enormous filter feeder, is shown with its giant mouth open wide. A biofluorescent chain catshark glows green on a black page. The multidimensional pattern of pointed shapes on the endpapers is also a nice touch. Best of all, page numbers make the index (itself information-packed) truly useful. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Masterful. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

"Almost perfect predators" are made less fearsome through this pictorial introduction.Experts at the visual display of information return with this splendid album that presents 42 shark species, described and portrayed in torn- and cut-paper collage illustrations. Jenkins and Page have organized their information thoughtfully, spread by spread. They begin with species variety (headed with the evocative collective noun "a shiver of sharks") and end with a thought-provoking pairing: shark attacks and sharks in danger (mostly from humans). Along the way they cover general topics-size, child-bearing, diet, and feeding habits-before describing particular species. There is the great white shark, of course, and the gigantic whale shark, hammerheads and other sharks with odd shapes, sharks that glow in the dark, sharks that live in surprising places, shark ancestors, and record holders. Though two-dimensional, the artist's sharks are surprisingly realistic in their features, coloration, and shading. All images are carefully labeled and shown with a human silhouette for scale. Set on a plain background, each is glossed with an accompanying informational paragraph printed in a friendly, faux handwritten typeface. Some spreads include range maps. There's wonderful variety in these images. The basking shark, an enormous filter feeder, is shown with its giant mouth open wide. A biofluorescent chain catshark glows green on a black page. The multidimensional pattern of pointed shapes on the endpapers is also a nice touch. Best of all, page numbers make the index (itself information-packed) truly useful. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Masterful. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 4-10)

School Library Journal (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

K-Gr 4 Jenkins and Page have again teamed up for an in-depth look at an animal: This time their subject is sharks. Like their previous books, this one does a deep dive into all things about its subject. There are lots of short passages with interesting facts about sharks, including their sizefrom bigger than a bus to small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand. There are also pages about the function of sharks' anatomyreaders will learn, for example, that sharks' scary dorsal fin is used to stabilize their body in the water. The artwork is striking and beautiful. Each double-page spread shows the variety of shapes and textures of sharks as well their gorgeous markings. Every spread also includes a human for a scale of reference to the size of the sharks. This book steers away from some of the scarier aspects of sharks, so there are no pictures of massive sharks chomping on unsuspecting prey. The work is thoughtfully conceived and will provide hours of perusal for shark fans, no matter their age. VERDICT An excellent choice for any library with people who are interested in sharks. Debbie Tanner, S.D. Spady Montessori Elem., FL