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PICTURE BOOKS
Murray, Alison

Sharky McShark

32 pp. | Little | June, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-316-70687-2 $14.99
(2) K-3 A bully of a shark learns the importance of friendship in this ocean-set retelling of Aesop's "The Lion and the Mouse." Sharky McShark, the "meanest, most fearsome creature" in the deep blue sea, relies on her size to bully and intimidate others: "Even the rocks get out of her way." When a small orange crab ­accidentally bounces off her fin, Sharky threatens to devour her. Fearing for her life, the crab pleads, "Spare my life and I promise I'll return the favor. You never know when YOU might need MY help." Sharky finds this notion preposterous ("Being a lone shark was best"), but her full-bodied gales of laughter send her tumbling into an old fishing net and down to the bottom of a deep, dark abyss. Finding herself utterly alone, Sharky longs for a friend and is surprised when none other than the small crustacean comes to her rescue. Murray's bold, buoyant screen-print and digital cartoon illustrations use dynamic shifts in color (from bright corals to dark blues and greens) and page layout (panels interspersed with double-page spreads, including one vertical spread highlighting the depth of the abyss) to trace Sharky's transformation from intimidating bully to lonely and helpless "sole" to grateful friend. Both playful and poignant, this fable gently reminds readers that everybody could use a little help.
Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

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