CHOMP!

What would you like to know about sharks?

This title follows the format of Whipple’s previous books about cats, frogs, dogs, and more, using common questions and striking photographs to entertain and inform young readers. The information on each spread is organized by a series of queries such as “Are sharks fish?” and “Can sharks smell blood”? Short paragraphs provide the answers. Most spreads also include a “shark bite” of gentle humor, often a pun. What will most engage readers are the images: sharks of all kinds, close up and labeled by species. Teeth are often a feature, and two spreads are devoted to their number, shape, and variety. Readers will learn about diet and sleep habits, shark anatomy and habitats, and eggs, live births, and babies; they’ll also learn the answer to the question, “Will a shark bite me?” (Answer, unlikely: The chance is 1 in 11 million.) With so many species and so much variation, the answers tend to be general, but most answers have enough information to satisfy curious readers. Surprisingly, the very first spread never reveals whose teeth, fins, or snouts are in the pictures; the answers can’t be found by studying the photos throughout the book. A concluding spread highlights 13 unusual species. The exposition is followed up by a “fact or fiction” page and an experiment on buoyancy; the book concludes with a short glossary and suggestions for web research, but no sources are listed.

Sink your teeth into this one!