My son is currently fascinated by marine animals and is wanting to learn more about sharks, whales and dolphins and although we have some of the stunning Usborne Beginner Chapter books which covered these animals and they are now too basic for him. He really wants more detailed information about the different sharks and how they are unique. I was given an Snake Animal Chapter book last year and it was the prefect fit for my son – a combination of a good chapter reading book and lots of information so I was thrilled when I saw that they had a Sharks version Sharks! (Animal Planet Chapter Books)
Now let me start by saying this is not a glossy, coffee table type book. It is a children’s chapter book filled with information about sharks and some stunning photos but they are not high-gloss. My son is NOT fussed by this at all, in fact he has NOT once commented on the fact that it is not glossy. He finds the book fascinating and has already read it cover to cover and is going back for a second read. (Yes he does had a toy Tiger shark on his shoulder listening to him read about sharks).
Oh and someone commented that the font is slightly bigger than normal – it is, but my eight-year old actually likes this. And I personally think a slightly larger font is great for a beginner chapter book, it makes the pages a bit more inviting for younger readers.
So what is included in this book.
We like the way the book is set out. It starts with the body of a shark and goes on to talk about how sharks differ and seems to naturally build from there. I found this interesting as I always thought of sharks as fairly typical like a great white or hammerhead and never realized how there are so many smaller and some rather stranger types of sharks.
In fact whenever they discuss something like what a shark eats or the life cycle of a shark it is never just general – all sharks do xxxx they always point out that different sharks will behave differently – so different types of shark prefer different prey and even the way they reproduce is different – some lay eggs some give birth. This is why we like this book so much, it is the extra detail that my eight-year old was wanting but complied in a way that allows him to read it independently.
We really like this book in fact I wish they had more titles in this series. It is perfect for kids who like reading non-fiction and who find animals fascinating. On Amazon they say the age range is 6 – 10, which is probably a good guide, my 8-year-old has managed to read it independently (I do consider him a good reader) and his 10-year-old sister even had a read and found the book interesting, as did I.
We have also found a number of great learning activities to go along with this book but I will share those in my next post.
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