cover image Shark-Mad Stanley: Shark-Mad Stanley Grouth

Shark-Mad Stanley: Shark-Mad Stanley Grouth

Andrew Griffin, Griff. Hyperion Books, $13.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-7868-0594-5

Striking an uneasy balance of jokes and science, this quirky volume introduces Stanley, a large-headed cartoon character who loves critters of all kindsD""He even loves SHARKS!"" Noting that the boy ""learns a lot"" about sharks from Dennis, his pet goldfish, British author Griff interjects some cursory information on the physical features, behavior and varieties of sharks on bulletin board-like spreads, while additional spreads feature stylized artwork with nonsensical fantasies of what it would entail for Stanley to have a shark as a pet. The boy compares the needs of sharks to those of goldfish: one illustration shows Stanley taking Dennis on the bus in a water-filled baggie; the next shows a crane lifting a shark to transport it home. An accompanying CD-ROM, tucked into the front cover, offers a screen saver featuring Dennis swimming around in his bowl (but, curiously, no shark), a pair of passable interactive games and facts about sharks that duplicate the text of the book. The disc, too, comes up short: its gateway imageDa silhouette of Stanley's houseDgives kids the option of entering only one of the four rooms; a click on the other spaces brings up the statement that these will be ""available with future titles."" Given the package's disappointments, readers may not stick around to sample subsequent releases featuring Stanley. Though Griff infuses his pictures and text with doses of humor, he includes too little substance and too much filler to satisfy children interested in learning about sharks. Ages 4-7. (May)