I'm a Shark

Publishers Weekly

In the midst of bragging about his fierce reputation, a shark reveals his insecurities. "If there were a dinosaur here... you know what he would be? Scared," grins the shark. "What about a creepy spider...?" asks a red crab. The shark's toothy smile turns to an anxious frown. "Creepy spider! Yuck! Is it on me?" he shudders, until reassured that no spiders are near. The shark scoffs at fearsome things—the dark, a squid, a bear—yet quakes at the mere mention of spiders ("SPIDERS? Who said I was afraid of spiders?"). Shea styles the conversation as playground one-upmanship, with the shark in the neurotic kingpin role. The goggle-eyed sea creatures, painted in rough swaths of black ink on saturated backdrops, are associated with distinct typefaces to identify the speakers (bold white for the shark, black for the others). Suggestions of spiders aside, Shea's shark has the unbridled confidence of the hero of his Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. It's almost impossible not to imagine the shark facing off against the egotistical squid of Kevin Sherry's I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean for undersea supremacy. Now that's scary. Ages 3–6. (May)

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Audiences will warm to the toothily and smugly beaming shark who smirks his way through the pages so guilelessly that boastfulness becomes downright cute. Warm up your performance skills for the exclamatory narrative, and watch your audience become a school of kid-sized great whites before your very eyes. ”

ALA Booklist

"Good for non-scaredy-cats everywhere."

The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

“Audiences will warm to the toothily and smugly beaming shark who smirks his way through the pages so guilelessly that boastfulness becomes downright cute. Warm up your performance skills for the exclamatory narrative, and watch your audience become a school of kid-sized great whites before your very eyes. ”

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Audiences will warm to the toothily and smugly beaming shark who smirks his way through the pages so guilelessly that boastfulness becomes downright cute. Warm up your performance skills for the exclamatory narrative, and watch your audience become a school of kid-sized great whites before your very eyes. "

Kirkus Reviews

This shark is the bravest thing in the ocean, or so he'd like readers to believe. His underwater companions question his bravado by posing hypothetical scenarios. Shark unwisely reveals his arachnophobia through hilarious imaginary situations involving a squid, the dark and a growling bear. Witty banter begs for audience participation as Shark's puffery escalates. "I'm not afraid of the dark— / the dark is afraid of me! / Dark heard I was coming and ran!" Kids will respond when they see Shark working hard to cover up his fear ("If I saw a spider, I would swim away / as fast as my fins would take me. / That's not scared—that's smart"), and his friends reveal their own complicated anxiety. Thick, dark crayon strokes convey both Shark's powerful physique and his endearing vulnerability. Both surprisingly understated and hilariously exaggerated, Shark's relative size correlates with his shifting confidence. Bold, uncluttered mixed-media spreads emphasize this predator's sharp-toothed, goofy grin. Intriguing design elements demonstrate the full extent of Shark's true worries. Though he claims to love scary movies, the reality shows him quivering behind a tub of popcorn while a young fisherman's smug expression dominates the silver screen. There will be no need to fear for Shark's enduring popularity; here he proves he's one refreshing delight. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—This shark is not afraid of shots (delivered by a swordfish), scary movies (a color photo shows a young boy fishing in a pond), or even dinosaurs—if they were still around. Shark's weakness soon becomes evident when he mistakes multiple creatures and lures for spiders, of which he's terrified. He even claims that he can make a giant squid ink himself in fear, but a spider would make him "swim away as fast as my fins would take me. That's not scared—that's smart." Finally, the braggart asks his fish and crab friends what makes them afraid, and, when they say sharks, he ends the tale with, "That's silly." The oversize but spare drawings of a boastful young shark declaring his bravery guarantee giggles. This nonsensical story is a tad long, but it is a good jumping-off point for discussing fears.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA