The Funny Life of Sharks is a great book on so many levels. It has a very catchy title which will attract children, it is a smaller size for smaller hands, the illustrations are tiny, frequent, humorous, and snappy, and the contents are a hoot. This is number three in a series, consisting of the lives of pets and teachers. The book comes with a warning that for serious researchers, some of the facts may not be completely accurate, for example, “Sharks are so beautiful that some people get a picture of a whale shark tattooed on their face.”
The beginning pages suggest that this is not a normal book. It is for people who love sharks, people who have nightmares about sharks, people who are sharks, or people who do not like sharks but like a giggle. There is a serious statement and illustration, then a silly statement and illustration, so while you can get useful information for research, you can also take time out to have a chuckle.
As the introduction suggests, this book is not meant to be read from beginning to end. A signpost tells you what page to turn to for specific information. Page 92 will tell you about shark skin, and page 212 tells you how to cheat at swimming races. Interspersed, there is a lot of accurate information on the life of sharks which is such a clever and humorous way for children to learn. It is also good to note that issues such as endangered species and plastic pollutants in the water are covered seriously.
