Outside And Inside Sharks

By Sandra Markle

Book Overview

Photo-essays on the habits and behavior of sharks. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689803486
• ISBN13: 9780689803482
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Atheneum
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 0.4" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Two boys' review: Little boys love sharks...and shark guts...ewww

As you know from my other reviews, I'm the chief rib tickler and bedtime book reader for two boys, a 5-year old and a 4-year old. Boys like books with scary things that aren't *too* scary. Boys like gross things, like a shark's liver (page 10), a shark's ear (page 17), and a shark's lower intestines (page 27). This is a great learning book. Yes, it is gross, but the pictures are nothing more graphic than what you'd find in natural science magazines.

Take the title literally

This book focuses on the anatomy of sharks, the inside and the outside, hence the title. The book does not go into detail about the various kinds of sharks or where in the world they live, but we have a brief glimpse at the various kinds of sharks and we get a gist for the variety: from the gentle and slow-moving whale shark to the predator great white shark to the very strange, camouflage-capable wobblegong. Clear explanations of the anatomy of the sharks are given, fully understandable to my 6 year old. An example of what is thoroughly explained is how they get oxygen from the water, how the gills operate, and how the plankton eaters filter the plankton from the ocean. There are also interesting comparisons between fish and sharks, highlighting how they are different from one another. The text is detailed and the writing style not dumbed-down or patronizing, which I appreciate. There are many full color photographs, some of which are downright gruesome! The cross-section of the heart and the cut-open stomach showing partially chewed-up contents was a bit much. This was a great part of our homeschooling unit on sharks. It is very thorough regarding the anatomy of sharks. To get a broader overview of sharks, additional reading is required.