The Shark Book

by Steve Jenkins, Steve Jenkins (Illustrator), Robin Page

Overview

Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page explore the astonishing lives of sharks in this brilliantly illustrated picture book. Perfect for Shark Week and all year round, this ode to the notorious ocean predator with more than four hundred species will blow you out of the water!

Sharp teeth, super senses, and those infamous fins—what's not to love about sharks? 

Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page explore one of the world's most notorious—and fearsome—animals. Learn what makes a shark a shark, what sharks like to eat, and how these predators of the deep have evolved. Ever wonder which shark is the smallest? Or the fastest? Even the most deadly? You'll find your answers in The Shark Book, with countless others.  

In this magnificently illustrated picture book, celebrate one of the worlds oldest species that has continued to capture our imaginations and astonish us for thousands of years. 

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328569493
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	728,636
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Steve Jenkins wrote and illustrated many nonfiction picture books for young readers, including the Caldecott Honor Book What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? His books have been called stunning, eye-popping, inventive, gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary, playful, irresistible, compelling, engaging, accessible, glorious, and informative.

Steve Jenkins wrote and illustrated many nonfiction picture books for young readers, including the Caldecott Honor Book What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? His books have been called stunning, eye-popping, inventive, gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary, playful, irresistible, compelling, engaging, accessible, glorious, and informative.

Robin Page has worked on numerous bestselling and award-winning titles with her husband and collaborator, Steve Jenkins, including Caldecott Honor Book What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

★ "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.... Masterful."—Kirkus, STARRED review ★ "Glorious torn-paper collages spill across pages, complementing the fact-filled commentary that seems to reflect exactly the kinds of information kids want.... This is a handsome offering about a perennially popular subject."—Booklist, STARRED review —

From the Publisher

06/01/2021

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 size—from 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' anatomy—readers 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

School Library Journal

★ 2021-04-14
“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