Shark Baby

K-Gr 1—As Shark Baby opens, the title character is still in his egg case (also called a mermaid's purse), yet is curious about himself and the world around him. Rough waters jar the case loose from its kelp strand and when it tears slightly, Shark Baby is able to peek out and talk to other marine creatures. On the ocean floor, he meets a horn shark, a pajama shark, and then an octopus that suggests that he find the mermaid. The mermaid (really a manatee) sends him back to the kelp forest where he learns that he is a swell shark. The large, full-spread illustrations are appealing and support the gentle nature of the story. The book concludes with additional facts about sharks and their egg cases and a "True or False" quiz. No sources are listed. A short, sweet story about discovering one's identity and finding one's place in the world.—Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL