The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale

by Margaret Mahy, Jonathan Allen (Illustrator)

Norvin is a very good actor, but rather plain. In fact, he looks very like a shark, and more than anything, he loves to shoot through the water like a silver arrow. But his cunning plan to clear the water at Caramel Cove badly misfires.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Summer, 1st Grade

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Margaret Mahy was a well-known New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. While the plots of many of her books have strong supernatural elements, her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up.

Her books The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance both received the Carnegie Medal of the British Library Association. There have 100 children's books, 40 novels, and 20 collections of her stories published. Among her children's books, A Lion in the Meadow and The Seven Chinese Brothers and The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate are considered national classics. Her novels have been translated into German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Catalan and Afrikaans. In addition, some stories have been translated into Russian, Chinese and Icelandic.

For her contributions to children's literature she was made a member of the Order of New Zealand. The Margaret Mahy Medal Award was established by the New Zealand Children's Book Foundation in 1991 to provide recognition of excellence in children's literature, publishing and literacy in New Zealand. In 2006 she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award (known as the Little Nobel Prize) in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature".

Margaret Mahy died on 23 July 2012.

On 29 April 2013, New Zealand’s top honour for children’s books was renamed the New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret...

Reviews

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the nineties I was privileged to hear Margaret Mahy read this. I bought a copy & I bought for the Play Centre I was involved with. Well, of course when I got to the front of the signing table I did my usual Can't Speak When It's Someone Famous thing & I only presented the book for Play Centre to be signed!

MM probably thought I was quite mad, but considering she was attired something like this...



...I guess I can live with that.

A short, hilarious book that respects young children enough to believe they don't have to be hit over the head with a sledgehammer to get the message. Jonathan Allen's flat style of art really adds to the tale. In Allen's hands, Norvin really does look like a shark!

& I'm in a chatty mood, so I'll share another story. Our copy of this book vanished, so I was pleased to find another copy at the op shop where I volunteer. This morning I couldn't find the book! Hunted for it high & low. Located it the last place I would expect to find it - on my Not A Reader husband's bedside cabinet.

Our family all really loved this book.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Norvin discovers the best way to get the beach all to himself is to strap a shark fin on his back. His ruse works until the day he catches the eye of a certain female.

Very cute story with fun illustrations by Jonathan Allen.

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do indeed very much enjoy and appreciate that with regard to her 1996 picture book The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale New Zealand author Margaret Mahy textually presents and features not just one but indeed and in my humble opinion quite a number of diverse and different lessons.

Sure, there is the rather obvious message featured in The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale that if you act greedily and in an egotistical, self-centred manner (like Corvin does with donning a shark fin so he can have the beach all to himself for swimming), sooner or later, this will more than likely come back to bite (with somewhat of a pun intended, and yes, it sure is funny that Corvin does not just meet up with a real shark but actually with a female shark wanting him as a mate, which not only makes Corvin really learn a lesson regarding his greediness but also in my opinion ends The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale with the attitude that sharks should be respected and that they are not playthings and of course also not man eating monsters).

But thankfully and also most delightfully, there is in fact oh so much more to The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale. Because yes, if Margaret Mahy’s entire text for The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale were to just focus on Corvin being greedy and selfish with regard to his swimming and wanting the entire beach area only for himself, in my humble opinion, The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale would quickly become tedious and annoyingly one-sided, and with Corvin simply appearing and behaving like a stereotypical villain who richly deserves to be denigrated and taught multiple lessons. But no, Corvin is not just selfish regarding his swimming because that is somehow his nature. For considering that no one throughout The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale ever really respects Corvin and his talent for being a spectacular actor (and that Corvin seemingly cannot get decent acting roles only because he is plain, because he is not handsome, and in fact physically looks rather shark-like), I actually do very much understand Corvin using his skills of successfully being able to act like a shark to keep others (and these others are also of course often his tormentors and his bullies) away from the beach (and while I might not want to condone Corvin pretending to be a shark, I do rather majorly understand and appreciate the reasons why in The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale he does this).

And finally, albeit I personally do not particularly like Jonathan Allen’s artwork for The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale and find his pictures a trifle aesthetically ugly and creepy, the illustrations do in fact work really well mirroring and complimenting Margaret Mahy’s writing, and which is also why for me Allen’s illustrations and Mahy’s words present themselves as highly successful, are warmly and smilingly recommended, and thus also a solidly four star rating for The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale.

[Joy Atmajian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I looked like a shark, I would also pretend to be one

[Rex Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I EVER have recollection of reading at the library. We used to spend a lot of time in the library as kids, thanks to my mother. She got this book for me this Christmas, and it was a joy to flip through the pages again.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating:
4 stars
Summary:
Norvin is a very funny kid who has a pointed sharkish head, sharkish teeth and a very flat nose. Norving loves to swim and likes to dart through the water like a silver arrow, but he hates how crowded the beach gets. one day Norvin has an idea! Norvin decides to make a great white shark dorsal fin and swims around the beach scaring away the other swimmers so that he can have the cove all to himself. But will Norvin continue to be greedy and selfish or will he learn his lesson and share with others?
Rationale:
Wow! I LOVED this story. I thought it was so clever and hilarious! I love how Norvin looks just like a shark himself and tries to scare the other swimmers. I also loved the ending how Norvin learns his lesson. This puts a whole new twist on The Boy Who Cried Wolf story. Hilarious with a great lesson!

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moral of this cautionary tale: Dishonesty may end up biting you in the butt... or cause a dangerous betrothal you have no interest in.

Kids love hearing stories about sharks, and they will love reading (or hearing) this story of Norvin the practical joker of a young boy who looks and swims like a shark.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny stuff in this spin the on "The Boy who Cried Wolf". Norvin is an actor whose best (and only) role is that of a shark. Wanting the beach to himself, he hams it up at the local beach. How long can he play this role before he is "discovered"?

[Molly Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read!! This PICTURE BOOK capture a very humorous tale of a young boy who wanted a cove all to himself, so he dresses up as a shark to scare everybody off. This book would be great in a classroom library or even as a READ ALOUD to allow students to be in a goofy mood. This book’s AUDIENCE is Pre-k through grade 2, but I think it could even go up to grade 4 for the vocabulary used. The CLIMAX of this book is when Norvin, the young boy, is swimming in the water by himself with his shark fin, when an actual shark approaches him! Needless to say, he jumped out of the water and showed his identity of Norvin, not a Great white man-eating shark. The RESOLUTION of this story is that Norvin is very cautious about getting into the water again. He spends the rest of his time sitting in the sand, even with a shark net up. The lesson students learn in this book is very clear, which is if you spot a shark, leave the water cautiously and slowly rather than jumping right up and rushing to surface. This phrase is repeated which makes it easy to stick in a child’s young mind. I will definitely be getting this book for my future classroom!

[Ellwyn Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norvin is a talented actor with a strong resemblance to sharks. In addition to acting, he loves to swim, but he resents sharing, Caramel Cove, his favorite swimming spot with others. They prevent him from swimming through the water like the silver arrow he is.

One day he decides to scare the other swimmers away. He straps on the plastic dorsal fin of a great white man-eating shark and swims through Caramel Cove, creating such panic no one swims again for days.

Whenever people decide to enter the water again, Norvin pretends to be a shark and frightens them back to shore. Then one day Norvin comes face to face with an unexpected swimmer who finds him appealing and everything changes.

This was one of my favorite Summer or Ocean themed books to read to my Pre-K/K students. It's funny and teaches children a valuable lesson on sharing and karma.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this sharky tale Norvin is a sweet kid who acts in stage plays, or did until everyone saw how much he resembled a great white shark in body shape and in his teeth. And no stage plays are currently made with shark people in mind. (The movies, of course, have the Jaws and Sharknado series but that's a fish of a different color.) So Norvin hangs out at Caramel Cove, called that because it's a sweet sugary stttrrreeetchhh of land (LOL) and Norv enjoys dressing up in a fake shark fin and sharing the other swimmers by acting as Jaws-like as possible. Soon the little brat has the cove to himself, until the REAL SHARK gets a little too, er, romantically fresh with Norv! A so called cautionary tale involving a caution-less tail. But it's sweet, charming and lots of finny fun.
3 stars
Norvin rules, Shark or no Shark! (FINished!)

[Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Gem of a book made me believe that there is a god just because only god could create such a beautiful tale. This book is a literary masterpiece, a diamond in the dirt of what literature is today. The Great White Man-Eating Shark: A Cautionary Tale is an intriguing thriller of a book that needs to be put in the same conversation as some of the greats. I could barely put this book down, only getting up to eat, and exercise to contain my excitement and love for this classic. "Dis book better than all mine combined" William Shakespeare. Finally this jewel of a book is a must read for all fans of good literature.

[Lindsey Haas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I think Norvin was very sly and that he got what he deserved by being scared of a shark. He could asked the people nicely for more room or have gone to another beach. It's a public area and everyone should be able to be there if they want. I was surprised that there was no lifeguard on duty to ban everyone from swimming in the ocean. One of Norvin's friends should of gone in the water and pulled him out since they thought there was a shark. I find this book to be appropriate for first graders because the word length is more in depth. I would say the genre is realistic fiction because the characters could look like real people and the setting could be a real place they visit.

[Brenna Bristol]

Norvin, a boy who looked like a shark, started swimming. During his swims he often ran into other swimmers, so he made himself a dorsal fin. He had the beach to himself for 3 days and then a week. Norvin met a female shark that wanted to marry him, so he stayed on the beach.
I would use this in my classroom to help explain to my children that being greedy isn't the best choice. I think this is a super cute book that students would love.

[Neeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This funny tongue-in-cheek take on the classic "The boy who cried wolf", is filled with descriptive language and humourous cartoon-like illustrations. Perfect to introduce good values like sharing and being considerate to others. I would also use this book to showcase how our selfish actions can sometimes bring unwelcome consequences

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Norvin (who happens to look a little shark-like) doesn’t have much going for him, beyond his swimming. When his swimming spot becomes to crowded he comes up with a plan to scare away the other swimmers. Humorous, with a lesson at the end. The pictures are a little creepy though!

[Harbor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining! Once again I love how different a lot of Mahy's picture books are from one another. Off the wall a bit and funny. I can tell the preschoolers we read to are going to love this one!

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so funny! I used to use it for story times for my 2nd to 4th graders, who really enjoyed it. Illustrations were funny!

[Alyson Stambach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. Had a great use of pictures that explained the storyline. It also taught children about being selfish.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best picture books ever.

[Kami · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids, especially my younger boys, loved it and I thought it was fun. We kind of got on a Margaret Mahy kick, and have been thoroughly enjoying her books, they're very unique.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cautionary tale about a boy who pretends to be a shark so he can swim in the ocean in peace.

[Gemma Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cover brought back memories! I loved this story when I was younger. I should track it down for my kids.

[Marzi]

GOOOOOOD

[Paul Graham Terpstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book. The dam cracks and the memories come flowing back as I read this book again.
Still as good as I remember

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a silly shark-loving book. The audiobook was excellent.

[Michelé · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite unusual but surprisingly clever

[Rachna Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good one! Norvin learnt his lesson for troubling people, alright.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a boy who pretends to be a shark, just so he can have the sea to himself, until a real shark comes along 🤣

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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