Cover Image: Are You Smarter Than a Shark?

Are You Smarter Than a Shark?

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Member Reviews

“Are You Smarter Than a Shark?” is written by David George Gordon and illustrated by Josh Lynch. It is worth checking out for the illustrations alone, is full of shark jokes and is a must for any shark fan, young or old.

I’m a marine biologist, and I learned a few new facts, like which part of the shark’s brain controls what body functions.

The only quibble I have is that the author states that “some sharks eat people” which isn’t true and only adds to the fears humans have about sharks. The author does go on to say that people are usually spit out after being tasted or bitten which is true. If humans die from a shark attack, it's usually from their wounds and not because the shark ate them.

But I believe the rest of the facts to be true, and only the most die hard shark fan will know all the facts contained within. Even then they’ll laugh at the jokes!

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My students love books about sharks! I think this will be a great addition to our collection. The facts are laid out in easy to follow text and the pictures are not scary for my younger readers! Great book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - becker & meyer! for the opportunity to read and review this book!

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What did I read just now? Oh my, sharks never fascinate me this much. Well written, funny illustrations, and puns all over the book kept me reading it from the first page to the last in a whiff. And now I can tell a bit more about sharks, thanks to the book.

Sharks are not my kind of reading nor watching. But from this book, I did have fun reading about sharks, the scariest animal in the ocean. This quite comprehensive book about the predator is well made for kids, full of informations and with some experiments of our own, we can test whether we are smarter or not compared to sharks.

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Are you smarter than a shark? One of life’s less asked questions but also one that has plenty of validity and is sure to intrigue as this new non-fiction book proves.

Sharks, just like humans, learn, remember, are curious and love to play. Sharks also think a bit differently to most other ocean life. But are they really smarter than humans? Are their brains really as good as their bite or is it all bravado? Take the test and find out for yourself, but be warned…sharks are already one ahead of you as they have a ‘special’ sixth sense unlike your five…

To survive in the ocean you need a few street, or should that be ocean, smarts. And sharks have plenty of ‘smarts’ that help them thrive and survive in their watery world. Admittedly, it helps being one of the larger ocean dwellers. Being one of the top ocean predators with a fearsome reputation and having razor sharp teeth all help too but there is a bit more to these fin-tastic fish.

The book is a great introduction to sharks and what makes them rather special. It starts off by covering things like where they live, what they look like, history and diet before diving into the five senses and this is where readers are given the opportunity to see how their senses compare to those of a shark’s and to see who really is the smartest. Sniffing pizza toppings, licking lollipops and fun in the bath tub are just some of the tests that readers are encouraged to try at home. Despite being one of the more feared ocean creatures sharks still need help and they make their own plea to “Save the sharks” at the end of the book, this includes a list of organisations that protect sharks. A glossary of shark terms rounds things off.

Every page is a delight. Backgrounds in shades of blue create the perfect underwater world and sharks - most of whom look friendly - swim playfully across the pages. The cartoon style illustrations are eye-catching and pack plenty of humour as the sharks crack jokes involving plenty of funny wordplay and puns.

A fun, fact-filled shark-fest.

Recommended for 6+.

With thanks to Quarto Publishing for the advanced reader copy that was received via Netgalley.

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I wish this book had real pictures instead of just cartoon/ drawn, but the facts in it about sharks was interesting. The glossary at the end is also useful.

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Review to come May 9th on blog/goodreads/etc.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just LOVE sharks. They are awesome, wonderful animals, and so I was hyped about this book. The cover definitely also pulled me in and the title made me laugh. So this had to be good, and now I am done reading it, I can say that this was tons of fun.

In this book we learn all about sharks. What they are, what they eat (everything not just good stuff but also trash, poor sharks), but also how they looked back in dinosaur time (which I already knew, but reading about it again had me going oh boy, because you definitely wouldn't have want to meet up with one), what makes them smart, about signals. And tons and tons more. This small book is packed!

I was delighted when we finally got some tests and fun activities to do, I was already wondering when those would come in play as I had expected them given the title. I was a bit curious about one thing, how is sausage a smelly ingredient on a pizza? I have had sausage or other meat before and unless heavily spiced they weren't that smelly. And the bathtub test is nice, but would have been better if they also had given an alternative, baths aren't that common in homes here. I mean, I could think of alternatives, but it would be fun if the book had taken that in consideration.

I also love the jokes/puns that were found at times, they made me laugh and I definitely wish there were more, or a dedicated section in the end.

I just love how the book was illustrated/made. The illustrations were top notch, I really love the style and how well it fits with the sharks. Plus, I love that the illustrator can both make the sharks look SCARY but also funny or a bit silly.

All in all, if you love sharks, this guide filled with tons of fun information packed in a wonderful illustrated package will delight you.

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This book has an appealing mix of words, illustrations, fact and humor. There is enough information to hold a reader’s interest, and the format with its clearly labeled headings is easy to follow. I found one confusing part.: Early in the book (page 5), when writing about the shark’s senses being like ours with one exception, the author writes, “Sharks also have a special ‘sixth sense’ to help them survive.” I was expecting to read about this “sixth sense,” but there was no further information about it. . . until page 38! On page 38 we learn that “Sharks have an extra sense that you don’t have. This sense let’s them feel the electrical current that all living things produce.” Shouldn’t all the information on senses go together?

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My 8yo son and I enjoyed Are You Smarter Than a Shark. We both giggled and even as an avid shark fan, it kept his attention. He loved the facts, illustrations, and jokes. He is excited to try the taste test soon. This book will bring a smile to your child’s face!

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This is the perfect book for young shark lovers! It is filled with so many facts and some wonderful illustrations. My son could not stop giggling as we read this together. He absolutely loved the activities where he could test his senses against a shark's senses. I love that it is educational in a fun way.

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I loved this book, it was full of fun facts and the illustrations were great!

I loved the introduction to the different shark species too.

It was a quick and informative read and will be a great treat to read for any fans of sharks or animals out there!

It is 5 stars from me for this one – I loved it!

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This is an adorable book for children and adults as well! I have learned so much from it and it made me laugh. I love the illustrations and the games. Excellent book.

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Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback. I will post this review to Goodreads, as well.

Okay, first of all, why are these sharks so funny? I smiled to myself at the first picture with the shark and the rubix cube, but I really got a chuckle off the "growing up in a school" joke. Okay, maybe I just like puns. Either way, I thought they were funny and clever throughout the entire book.

More importantly, I thought this book was great! I remember growing up, a friend in class was really into sharks. He probably would've loved this book! I also remember a friend who was really into sea creatures. I just imagine kids nowadays getting into different things, and would think that this would be right up someone's alley. The facts are at appropriate age level, the illustrations are funny and entertaining, and there are some suggestions throughout the book for engagement with the reader (The Sniff Test or The Vision Test for example).

Ultimately, I think this is a great read, designed perfectly for a kid who is really into sharks, science, or just wants to read something funny and clever.

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Fun little book for children 5-9, covering key facts about sharks in an easy to understand way. Lovely illustrations and glossary, with a focus on each of the shark's senses.

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This was cute and I can definitely see kids enjoying it! I liked that it ended with some information on how humans can protect sharks, but I wish it had been made a little more clear that we're much more dangerous to sharks than they are to us.

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