Underwater photographs, dominated by dark blue and black, depict sharks in their ocean habitat. The simple beginning-reader text draws attention to sharks' size, sharp teeth, and sometimes startling eating habits. A few unnecessary and difficult to decipher pronunciation guides interrupt the text and nudge readers to pronounce words phonetically: "(Say it like this: CAR-til-idj.)"

K-Gr 2-Illustrated with full-page, full-color photographs, this highly readable title explains basic facts of shark life and elaborates on the diversity of different species. Clear comparisons are made with real-life objects; readers learn that some sharks are so small that they can be held in the palm of the hand while others are longer than a pickup truck. Concepts and new vocabulary are explained in context with a pronunciation guide for harder words in parentheses. Common misconceptions are also considered: humans are more likely to be hit by lightning than killed by a shark. A discussion of the need to protect the animals' habitat includes the fact that "people have killed more than half of all the sharks in the world."-Kathleen Meulen, Blakely Elementary School, Bainbridge Island, WA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.