How to Spy on a Shark - Hardcover

Lori Haskins Houran likes to spy on sharks...from the safety of the beach! She and her two sons live near the ocean in Florida, where they sometimes see sharks leaping right out of the water. She is the author of more than twenty books for kids, including A Dozen Cousins and A Trip Into Space. Francisca Marquez is a Mexican-born illustrator currently living in California. When not painting, Francisca enjoys hiking in the mountains and swimming in the sea. She shares her studio with her cat, Popsicle.

PreS-Gr 1—Animal fans will enjoy this simple picture book on the study of sharks. Relying upon concise sentences, Houran explains how marine biologists track mako shark pups by fitting them with tracking devices and using small robots that follow the sharks, recording their movements. The author provides more in-depth information about this process at the end of the book. Children will be drawn in by the soothing, serene illustrations, tinged with deep sea blue, that evoke a peaceful tone not usually associated with these animals. Educators seeking a younger, gentler alternative to Katherine Roy's excellent Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California's Farallon Islands (Roaring Brook, 2014) should consider this work. Pair Houran's informative and kid-friendly title with Tedd Arnold's Fly Guy Presents: Sharks (Scholastic, 2013) or Gail Gibbons's Sharks (Holiday House, 1992). VERDICT A splendid bridge for introducing very young readers to expository texts, and a useful addition to the 590s.—Martha Rico, El Paso ISD, TX