The Shark in the Dark - Softcover

PreSchool-Grade 1—The best part of this book is the cover, which has a cutout resembling sharp teeth through which readers can see a hungry shark surrounded by frightened fish. In rhyming text, children learn about the creature that just ate but wants more, the "shark in the dark." Many kinds of fish are highlighted as they see their potential attacker. While they are escaping, they chance upon a friendly squid that comes up with a plan to make sure that the shark never eats in their neighborhood again. The last page shows an illustration of all the fish forming a whale, and the text states that working together is the best way to solve a problem. Young children will probably love looking at the appealing cartoons, and the text will pull them right into the story. However, Lio Lionni's classic Swimmy (Knopf, 1963) tells the same story.—Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City END