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Are You Smarter Than a Shark?: Learn How Sharks Survive in their Watery World - 100+ Facts about Sharks!
People once thought that sharks weren’t very smart. It turns out those people were WRONG! Wise-cracking sharks set the record straight in this funny, fact-filled book for young shark lovers.
Sharks have their own way of thinking. And their way of thinking has made them one of the top predators in the ocean. Sharks can sniff out injured animals over great distances. As hunters, they use their special electro-sense to zero in on hidden prey. They have taste buds in their razor-sharp teeth. And, like people, sharks are playful and curious, and they can learn and remember.
In Are You Smarter Than...A Shark?, discover what makes a shark a shark, and what makes them different from other fish. Learn about countershading, mermaid’s purses, dermal denticles, and more. Explore a shark’s watery world and meet their finny friends and weird relatives.
Five “Test Your Shark Smarts” activities let you test your senses against a shark’s senses. Can you identify a secret ingredient through smell alone? Is your hearing better above or below water? How do your teeth compare to those of different sharks? Who would win a tasting contest?
Best yet, Are You Smarter Than...A Shark? has humor. Punny jokes and cartoon illustrations, along with robust information, make this a book you’ll want to dive into again and again.
Sharks have their own way of thinking. And their way of thinking has made them one of the top predators in the ocean. Sharks can sniff out injured animals over great distances. As hunters, they use their special electro-sense to zero in on hidden prey. They have taste buds in their razor-sharp teeth. And, like people, sharks are playful and curious, and they can learn and remember.
In Are You Smarter Than...A Shark?, discover what makes a shark a shark, and what makes them different from other fish. Learn about countershading, mermaid’s purses, dermal denticles, and more. Explore a shark’s watery world and meet their finny friends and weird relatives.
Five “Test Your Shark Smarts” activities let you test your senses against a shark’s senses. Can you identify a secret ingredient through smell alone? Is your hearing better above or below water? How do your teeth compare to those of different sharks? Who would win a tasting contest?
Best yet, Are You Smarter Than...A Shark? has humor. Punny jokes and cartoon illustrations, along with robust information, make this a book you’ll want to dive into again and again.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 3, 2021
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
I just LOVE sharks. They are awesome, wonderful animals, and so I was hyped about this book. The cover definitely also pulled me in and the title made me laugh. So this had to be good, and now I am done reading it, I can say that this was tons of fun.
In this book we learn all about sharks. What they are, what they eat (everything not just good stuff but also trash, poor sharks), but also how they looked back in dinosaur time (which I already knew, but reading about it again had me going oh boy, because you definitely wouldn’t have want to meet up with one), what makes them smart, about signals. And tons and tons more. This small book is packed!
I was delighted when we finally got some tests and fun activities to do, I was already wondering when those would come in play as I had expected them given the title. I was a bit curious about one thing, how is sausage a smelly ingredient on a pizza? I have had sausage or other meat before and unless heavily spiced they weren’t that smelly. And the bathtub test is nice, but would have been better if they also had given an alternative, baths aren’t that common in homes here. I mean, I could think of alternatives, but it would be fun if the book had taken that in consideration.
I also love the jokes/puns that were found at times, they made me laugh and I definitely wish there were more, or a dedicated section in the end.
I just love how the book was illustrated/made. The illustrations were top notch, I really love the style and how well it fits with the sharks. Plus, I love that the illustrator can both make the sharks look SCARY but also funny or a bit silly.
All in all, if you love sharks, this guide filled with tons of fun information packed in a wonderful illustrated package will delight you.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I just LOVE sharks. They are awesome, wonderful animals, and so I was hyped about this book. The cover definitely also pulled me in and the title made me laugh. So this had to be good, and now I am done reading it, I can say that this was tons of fun.
In this book we learn all about sharks. What they are, what they eat (everything not just good stuff but also trash, poor sharks), but also how they looked back in dinosaur time (which I already knew, but reading about it again had me going oh boy, because you definitely wouldn’t have want to meet up with one), what makes them smart, about signals. And tons and tons more. This small book is packed!
I was delighted when we finally got some tests and fun activities to do, I was already wondering when those would come in play as I had expected them given the title. I was a bit curious about one thing, how is sausage a smelly ingredient on a pizza? I have had sausage or other meat before and unless heavily spiced they weren’t that smelly. And the bathtub test is nice, but would have been better if they also had given an alternative, baths aren’t that common in homes here. I mean, I could think of alternatives, but it would be fun if the book had taken that in consideration.
I also love the jokes/puns that were found at times, they made me laugh and I definitely wish there were more, or a dedicated section in the end.
I just love how the book was illustrated/made. The illustrations were top notch, I really love the style and how well it fits with the sharks. Plus, I love that the illustrator can both make the sharks look SCARY but also funny or a bit silly.
All in all, if you love sharks, this guide filled with tons of fun information packed in a wonderful illustrated package will delight you.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 10, 2021
It’s highly unusual for a non-fiction book to garner a 5 star rating from me, but this shark book is unique and perfect for middle grade readers, thus earning those stars. Text by author David George Gordon is thorough and focuses on how sharks use their 6 senses to find food and survive in their watery homes, but the “unique” aspect is the addition of easy to perform experiments that illustrate the facts. All of these hands on activities can be done using readily available objects and most without any adult supervision. Pacing, quantity of text, font, and arrangement on the page encourages continued reading and is visually attractive. Illustrator Josh Lynch does a fabulous job giving the shark images both realism as well as a sense of humor and the backgrounds fill the entire page and are full of extra ocean details that supplement the text beautifully. Plenty of non-fiction text features such as diagrams, glossary, print variation, and side bars add to the learning as well as the overall pleasure in reading this book. Perfect for readers from preschool (with help and abbreviation, of course) through grade 5. Thanks for the preview copy, Amazon Vine.
August 29, 2022
The audio version of, Are You Smarter Than A Shark, is an excellent children's book. It is filled with fun facts, cute jokes, and historical species information. The wonderful descriptions of the page illustrations is a nice touch. So many interesting facts about shark species names, teeth variations, lengths, weight, swimm8ng ability, leaping rage, and swimming speeds, sleeping patterns, body temperature, eyes, nose, tiny ears, and shark anatomy. I loved the detail, comical dialogue, and suggested children's activities.
This book is perfect for toddlers and primary school children. The author completed a meaningful book with interesting facts that children will undoubtedly enjoy and refer back to through their Shark fascination stage. At the end of the book is a short glossary of shark, fish, and ocean words.
This book is perfect for toddlers and primary school children. The author completed a meaningful book with interesting facts that children will undoubtedly enjoy and refer back to through their Shark fascination stage. At the end of the book is a short glossary of shark, fish, and ocean words.
June 3, 2021
This is a totally fun and engaging book on a particularly fascinating topic for kids: sharks. Sharks are a great topic to dive deep and devote an entire book to. But, this book takes it to the next level and gives children all the fascinating facts about sharks while playfully incorporating humor in a graphic-novel-esque style. Sharks throughout the books are given little word bubbles to talk to the reader, which provides a nice break from reading just facts. I appreciate that tough words are given phonetic pronunciation guides, all the information in the book is well organized, and the topic is celebrated.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Quarto Kids. Opinions are my own.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Quarto Kids. Opinions are my own.
July 2, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book so much to my 6-year-old, who just loves all kinds of animals, including sharks. It is a longer book for a read aloud, and we read it over 2 days. There are some experiments in it that you could either pause to do or do later. One of them includes five different flavors of lollipops, which is going to be very popular among children everywhere :-). This makes it a useful book for homeschooling and for school teachers. It is also suitable for independent readers, who will enjoy the humorous cartoon side conversations that the sharks have in the illustrations. This also makes a great gift for any sea life loving child. All the pages are in full color and the book itself is printed on high quality paper.
April 18, 2021
What did I read just now? Oh my, sharks never fascinate me this much. Well written, funny illustrations, and puns all over the book kept me reading it from the first page to the last in a whiff. And now I can tell a bit more about sharks, thanks to the book.
Sharks are not my kind of reading nor watching. But from this book, I did have fun reading about sharks, the scariest animal in the ocean. This quite comprehensive book about the predator is well made for kids, full of informations and with some experiments of our own, we can test whether we are smarter or not compared to sharks.
Sharks are not my kind of reading nor watching. But from this book, I did have fun reading about sharks, the scariest animal in the ocean. This quite comprehensive book about the predator is well made for kids, full of informations and with some experiments of our own, we can test whether we are smarter or not compared to sharks.
January 12, 2023
As kids books go, it's easy to read and heavy on graphics, a good introduction to kids curious about sharks. It's less factual presentation though and more 'neat home experiments to test your met against sharks' (which kids always seem to like?). There's sight, sound, smell, and more. All the sharks in the book (mostly great whites) are making very bad pun jokes. Some wear backpacks. Beyond not understanding really big words like countershading (which is explained in the glossary), it's aimed more at younger kids than most kids' books on sharks I've encountered.
March 14, 2021
Review to be added to Amazon UK & US on 20th April 2021 – publication day!
I loved this book, it was full of fun facts and the illustrations were great!
I loved the introduction to the different shark species too.
It was a quick and informative read and will be a great treat to read for any fans of sharks or animals out there!
It is 5 stars from me for this one – I loved it!
I loved this book, it was full of fun facts and the illustrations were great!
I loved the introduction to the different shark species too.
It was a quick and informative read and will be a great treat to read for any fans of sharks or animals out there!
It is 5 stars from me for this one – I loved it!
March 31, 2021
This is the perfect book for young shark lovers! It is filled with so many facts and some wonderful illustrations. My son could not stop giggling as we read this together. He absolutely loved the activities where he could test his senses against a shark's senses. I love that it is educational in a fun way.
April 1, 2021
Such an adorable book! If you have a young shark lover in your life this is the perfect book for them. It is educational and fun. There was something on every page that made me laugh. I adore the illustrations in this book! I also loved the fun activities that are included so that the kids can test their senses like a shark.
Want to Read
March 25, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
March 31, 2021
This is a funny Children’s non-fiction book all about sharks! Everyone will love this book.
I just reviewed Are You Smarter Than a Shark? by David George Gordon. #AreYouSmarterThanaShark #NetGalley
I just reviewed Are You Smarter Than a Shark? by David George Gordon. #AreYouSmarterThanaShark #NetGalley
September 6, 2021
Shark facts for kids in concise paragraphs. Illustrations include shark-themed humor.
October 7, 2021
I was actually pretty bored with this book, but someone who is interested in the topic or teaching a unit on sharks or the ocean would find it useful. Includes activities and a glossary.
April 12, 2021
Are you smarter than a shark? One of life’s less asked questions but also one that has plenty of validity and is sure to intrigue as this new non-fiction book proves.
Sharks, just like humans, learn, remember, are curious and love to play. Sharks also think a bit differently to most other ocean life. But are they really smarter than humans? Are their brains really as good as their bite or is it all bravado? Take the test and find out for yourself, but be warned…sharks are already one ahead of you as they have a ‘special’ sixth sense unlike your five…
To survive in the ocean you need a few street, or should that be ocean, smarts. And sharks have plenty of ‘smarts’ that help them thrive and survive in their watery world. Admittedly, it helps being one of the larger ocean dwellers. Being one of the top ocean predators with a fearsome reputation and having razor sharp teeth all help too but there is a bit more to these fin-tastic fish.
The book is a great introduction to sharks and what makes them rather special. It starts off by covering things like where they live, what they look like, history and diet before diving into the fives senses and this is where readers are given the opportunity to see how their senses compare to those of a shark’s and to see who really is the smartest. Sniffing pizza toppings, licking lollipops and fun in the bath tub are just some of the tests that readers are encouraged to try at home. Despite being one of the more feared ocean creatures sharks still need help and they make their own plea to “Save the sharks” at the end of the book, this includes a list of organisations that protect sharks. A glossary of shark terms rounds things off.
Every page is a delight. Backgrounds in shades of blue create the perfect underwater world and sharks - most of whom look friendly - swim playfully across the pages. The cartoon style illustrations are eye-catching and pack plenty of humour as the sharks crack jokes involving plenty of funny wordplay and puns.
A fun, fact-filled shark-fest.
Recommended for 6+.
With thanks to Quarto Publishing for the advanced reader copy that was received via Netgalley.
Sharks, just like humans, learn, remember, are curious and love to play. Sharks also think a bit differently to most other ocean life. But are they really smarter than humans? Are their brains really as good as their bite or is it all bravado? Take the test and find out for yourself, but be warned…sharks are already one ahead of you as they have a ‘special’ sixth sense unlike your five…
To survive in the ocean you need a few street, or should that be ocean, smarts. And sharks have plenty of ‘smarts’ that help them thrive and survive in their watery world. Admittedly, it helps being one of the larger ocean dwellers. Being one of the top ocean predators with a fearsome reputation and having razor sharp teeth all help too but there is a bit more to these fin-tastic fish.
The book is a great introduction to sharks and what makes them rather special. It starts off by covering things like where they live, what they look like, history and diet before diving into the fives senses and this is where readers are given the opportunity to see how their senses compare to those of a shark’s and to see who really is the smartest. Sniffing pizza toppings, licking lollipops and fun in the bath tub are just some of the tests that readers are encouraged to try at home. Despite being one of the more feared ocean creatures sharks still need help and they make their own plea to “Save the sharks” at the end of the book, this includes a list of organisations that protect sharks. A glossary of shark terms rounds things off.
Every page is a delight. Backgrounds in shades of blue create the perfect underwater world and sharks - most of whom look friendly - swim playfully across the pages. The cartoon style illustrations are eye-catching and pack plenty of humour as the sharks crack jokes involving plenty of funny wordplay and puns.
A fun, fact-filled shark-fest.
Recommended for 6+.
With thanks to Quarto Publishing for the advanced reader copy that was received via Netgalley.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews