The Whale Shark

Children's Literature

It's the largest shark in the world, with distinct and beautiful markings plus an unshark-like mouth (right in front of its snout) and eyes (small at the sides of the head). The whale shark, so named because of its size, is a gentle giant that eats tiny zooplankton. Its keen sense of smell helps the whale shark find food, on which it passively feeds by swimming along with its huge mouth open. Whale sharks are fish, yet they do not have scales; rather their thick skin is covered with rough, bony substance called dermal denticles which help them swim. As interesting as all this is, Hirschmann points out in her book, part of the "Creatures of the Sea" series, what is most remarkable is how little scientists know about them. Do they migrate? How do they mate? Are they solitary or do they live in groups? Why do they have such striking colors? How long do they live? Their only enemy is humankind, some of which hunt them as a food delicacy, yet scientists cannot get a handle on the whale shark's population numbers. Hand this book to a young reader who enjoys nonfiction and wants to know more about these amazing fish—or at least as much as the scientific community knows. A fine addition to a school or classroom library. 2004, KidHaven Press, Ages 8 to 12.
—Judy Crowder