Sharks Up Close by Aidan Green

Any library can never have enough shark books. They are so popular with young readers and this newly released hardcover edition of Sharks Up Close will be flying off the shelves! The full page colour photographs are a highlight and combined with small chunks of accessible text, this will be a nonfiction book borrowed time and time again. Each shark captured in film is clearly labelled and while there is the most well known – the Great White shark - there are also lesser known ones shown including the Sand Tiger shark, Lemon shark, Ocean Whitetip shark and the Goblin shark.

Throughout the book the interesting facts are presented in large font either black or white depending on the darkness of photographic background. Did you know:

·        There are over 500 species of sharks alive today - the smallest being the Dwarf Lantern shark at 20cm and the largest being the Whale shark that can grow up to 18m
·        Scales are called dermal denticles and are more like teeth than scales
·       For First Nations People living in coastal areas, sharks can represent totems, ancestors and sometimes gods.
·       Humans are responsible for the death of approximately 100 million sharks each year.
·       The largest shark to ever live was the megalodon which lived between 3.6 and 20 million years ago. It could grow up to 20 metres in length

For both teachers and students, this book serves as an excellent model for factual report writing, offering clear coverage of habitat, features, life cycle, diet, and a range of engaging additional facts.

Teacher resources: Sharks CloseUp - WILD DOG BOOKS

Themes: Sharks, Features, Life Cycles, First Nations, Facts, Photographs.

Kathryn Beilby