Please Be Nice to Sharks: Fascinating Facts about the Ocean's Most Misunderstood Creatures

by Matt Weiss, Daniel Botelho (Photographer)

Overview

Meet 14 cool sharks (and one manta ray) and see why it's important to BE NICE TO SHARKS! Though they’re often portrayed as vicious man-eaters, sharks actually kill fewer than 10 people per year. Yet those myths cause real harm: many species are being hunted to extinction, with as many as 100-200 million sharks being killed each year. This humorous book humanizes the incredible shark through breathtaking, original, underwater photography along with incredible facts about these amazing creatures in the wild—sending kids a crucial message about conservation in an irresistible format.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454917489
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	06/07/2016
Series:	Misunderstood Creatures , #1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	632,278
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Please Be Nice To Sharks is author and photographer Matt Weiss's first children’s book. Matt is the owner of Dive Photo Guide and is a diver, photographer, biologist, author, and ocean lover. Matt lives in New York. Follow him on Twitter at either @MattDPG or @DivePhotoGuide and learn more about him on his website: DivePhotoGuide.com.

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2016
This modest overview of 15 types of sharks (including a manta ray “cousin”) suggests that the creatures aren’t as scary and ferocious as people might think. In a serious-minded introduction, Weiss points out that shark populations are rapidly declining, in part because of human hunting. The rest of the book strikes a more casual tone as the various sharks introduce themselves in friendly-as-can-be first-person narratives (“What’s up? I’m a scalloped hammerhead shark. I’m named for my funky-shaped head that also gives me incredible 360-degree vision to find my food”). The clear, full-color photographs and chatty narration provide just enough details to hook younger readers, though the recurring pleas to “please be nice to us!” start to get repetitive. Ages 6–10. (June)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2016
Gr 3–5—Did you know that humans kill more than 100 million sharks each year, but only about five people are killed by sharks? This book maintains that by having an understanding of these magnificent creatures, we can better preserve them and our beloved oceans. Each page presents a different shark species, ranging from the familiar great white to the rocky-looking wobbegong shark. Each shark introduces itself with a friendly opener like "Ahoy, matey!" and goes on to give a bit about its identifying features, traits, and abilities (for instance, the blue shark says, "I'm pretty easy to recognize because I've got a big ol' nose and nice blue skin."). Every entry concludes with a plea to "be nice to sharks!" Educators could use this as a mentor text to model the technique of "voice" in creative writing, as each shark speaker tends to have its own personality. The large, crisp photos that accompany the text give readers a chance to look into the eyes of the shark: a useful way to invoke empathy. Of the 14 sharks featured, three take up an entire spread (the great white, Caribbean reef, and lemon shark) along with a sidebar listing average length, weight, diet, and other specific facts. Back matter includes a "How To Be Nice to Sharks" note warning readers to avoid shark fin soup and seafood caught by big fishing fleets. VERDICT A slight introduction to the concepts of animal and ecosystem conservation; young shark lovers will be sure to enjoy this work.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

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