Zoologist Nick Crumpton and illustrator Gavin Scott follow their Everything You Know About Dinosaurs Is Wrong!--the first installment in the Everything You Know About series--with a mesmerizing dive into the world of the oft-maligned shark. Crumpton structures the work around common myths about the shark and its close relatives, the ray and the skate. Scott supports the fascinating text with naturalistic art that faithfully re-creates the animals described. The result is a spellbinding picture book for middle-grade readers that corrects the record on a highly misunderstood creature.
Sharks have existed for millions of years, and there are several fallacies associated with them: these vicious killers (actually, they kill fewer people than cows) serve no purpose (except being "one of THE most important animals in the world's oceans") and are stupid (even though some species exhibit curiosity, and others contemplate future events). As Crumpton dispels myth after myth, he highlights multiple species of shark and illuminates amazing characteristics, like the sharks that can clone themselves through parthenogenesis: "When some female sharks can't find a mate but choose to have a baby, they grow one using only their own DNA."
Scott's realistic illustrations dazzle with their intense detail, showing texture and the distinctive characteristics of each species, such as long snouts and large crests. Every page features sharks up close as well as in their natural habitats, adding to the overall awe of this reading experience. Shark lovers, future marine biologists, and anyone who thinks they know everything about sharks should find Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong! engaging, entertaining, and enlightening. --Jen Forbus, freelancer