I Am the Shark

They may be known as the Great White Shark, but when the protagonist of this finny compendium tries to assert their supremacy as “The Greatest Shark in this book,” they run into some stiff opposition. Challengers include the Whale Shark and the Dwarf Lantern Shark, who marshal evidence to prove they are biggest and smallest, respectively; and a persuasive assertion by Tiger Shark that on top of being the ocean’s best hunter, “They call me the garbage can of the ocean. It’s because I gobble other stuff too. One time I ate a clock and a car tire. True story.” Keller’s (Hello, Arnie!) traditional and digital collaging lifts this above the standard taxonomies: while the sharks all have endearing googly eyes and oodles of comic pride, they’re also visually imaginative—the Whale Shark is especially impressive, with a surface that resembles an elaborate mosaic of round purple, blue, and gray tiles. If the inserted shark facts disrupt the final act of Holub’s (This Little Rainbow) high-spirited one-upping, there’s plenty in this lively readaloud to scratch the target audience’s itch for deep category knowledge. Back matter includes shark facts and additional resources. Ages 4–8. (May)