Scan barcode
bosswench's review
3.0
Mads (age 7) and I much prefer this to the other Martin/Shannon book we read this month, Rough-Face Girl, though I think this says more about our sensibilities than the actual content of the books. I enjoy Martin's interpretation of this story, crafted expressly for children, its emphasis on connection and empathy--with both the animal world and our fellow human beings. Ultimately, islanders are punished for being callous, while the children (and their parents) are delivered from this devastation because of their benevolence and care, because in the beginning of the story, the children rescue a shark entangled in fishing wire. Mads and I discussed whether or not sharks might actually have their own god, and what other animals' gods might look like and be like, if so. We discussed whether or not we would rescue a shark, even if it might mean danger to ourselves (and I was reminded of videos of dogs tangled and lashing out with fright at their would-be rescuers). The illustrations within are vivid and colorful, though some of the images of the sharks struck me as a little goofy. And, maybe there could've been more sharks, different types of sharks?
More...