Misunderstood Shark (Misunderstood Shark #1)

K-Gr 2—Jellyfish Bob, television host of Underwater World with Bob, has Shark as his guest. Shark seems to be easily distracted but is intent on presenting himself in a positive light. In the middle of the interview, when shark goes off to chase a fish (he claims to be showing the fish his new tooth), a baby seal (just taking him back to his mother), and the smell of blood (giving the human on the beach a box of Band-Aids). Jellyfish Bob, like any good host, covers by entertaining the audience with interesting facts about sharks. Kids will like the wild, exclamatory text even if it feels a bit disjointed to adult readers. As she does in her title Wolfie the Bunny and Boy + Bot, Dyckman hits the mark of both hilarious and sweet. Magoon's illustrations (a pink jellyfish with a cowboy hat and glasses, a yellow squid working the boom mic, and a bright orange squid wearing his sunglasses on his forehead and working the clapper board) make up a fabulous cast that swim around in cool-colored waters, ranging from bright greens to deep indigos. VERDICT Make no mistake, this is a fun addition to any collection, best for reading close-up and one-on-one.—Hillary Perelyubskiy, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The live TV show "Underwater World with Bob," staffed entirely by aquatic creatures, is suddenly interrupted by a shark who is about to consume a little orange fish right on camera. Once Shark realizes that he has an audience, he changes his tune. "You misunderstood!" he demurs, still clutching the terrified fish. "I was just... showing him my new tooth!" The host tries to play along, offering shark facts as Shark--smitten with his new public persona--claims that he is also being misunderstood when it seems like he wants to eat a baby seal or some beach-going humans ("I brought Band-Aids!" he roars). Shark is so persuasive that the octopus holding the boom mike declares, "The ocean gets its saltiness from the tears of misunderstood sharks! I read that somewhere." Magoon's cartooning is both funny and visually striking as the toothy, scenery-chewing Shark plays to the camera and zips through the green-blue water, barely resisting his primal urges. And the playful typography used for Dyckman's rapid-fire dialogue makes her blooper-reel humor even funnier. Ages 4-6. Author's agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel NY. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Apr.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for Misunderstood Shark: Bob the jellyfish is the host of an underwater TV show, and while taping his latest segment, he's interrupted by a hungry shark chasing a cute fish! Time to panic? Not quite...At every initially terrifying turn, dubious Bob takes the opportunity to share a shark fact and dispel a myth...the over-the-top humor, comical asides from the TV crew, and Magoon's boisterous, candycolored artwork, in thick lines and cartoonish shapes, will lure in many a reader. The sneaky shark facts will go down easy in this uproariously silly picture book. — BooklistMagoon's cartooning is both funny and visually striking as the toothy, scenery-chewing Shark plays to the camera and zips through the green-blue water, barely resisting his primal urges. And the playful typography used for Dyckman's rapid-fire dialogue makes her blooper-reel humor even funnier. — Publishers WeeklyA maligned shark steals the show to explain just how wrong his fellow fish are about him in Dyckman and Magoon's debut collaboration...[Dyckman] gives ambiguity the narrative spotlight with well-honed tension prolonging readers' indecision. Meanwhile, Magoon's flair for underwater illustration also allows a shark's redemption and his prey's suspicion to both live on the page. Readers will need to decide for themselves if Shark is really as scary as he seems or if misunderstandings have colored our opinions. Fun and playful...or so Shark would have us believe. — Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Ame Dyckman's Horrible Bear!: 3 Starred ReviewsJunior Library Guild Selection* Molly Bang's Sophie finally has a worthy shelf-mate for absolutely spot-on characterizations of mood. VERDICT: Highly recommended for picture book collections. — School Library Journal, starred reviewPraise for Ame Dyckman's Wolfie the Bunny: 4 Starred ReviewsParents Magazine Best Fictional Picture Book 2015The Huffington Post Best Picture Books 2015ALSC Notable Book for ChildrenSchool Library Journal Best of the YearNYPL 100 Titles for Reading and SharingWilde Award Best Picture Books Ages 4-8A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of 2016* Interspecies adoption puts a fresh spin on the new-baby theme... A treat of a picture book. — The Horn Book, starred reviewPraise for Ame Dyckman's Tea Party Rules: 3 Starred ReviewsEzra Jack Keats New Writer AwardJunior Library Guild SelectionDolly Parton Imagination Library Selection* Dyckman's (Boy and Bot) and Campbell's (Flora and Ulysses) story is like a pretty petit four with an unexpectedly zingy filling. — Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for Ame Dyckman's Boy + Bot: 3 Starred ReviewsPlease Touch Museum's Kids' Choice AwardSCBWI Crystal Kite AwardIndieBound's Kids' Next ListAmazon Best Picture BookNYPL's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing* Dyckman's debut offers pitch-perfect pacing and gentle humor... As Boy and Bot would say, it's 'affirmative' that this book will be a hit. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review Praise for Scott Magoon's I Will Not Eat You: The full-bleed illustrations are saturated with rich, dark colors but manage never to be scary. With several humorous twists, lots of imaginative play, and illustrations reminiscent of Maurice Sendak's in Where the Wild Things Are, this is a surefire read-aloud hit. VERDICT Highly recommended for storytime and one-on-one sharing. — School Library JournalMagoon's bold, angular, digitally rendered drawings capably juggle action, suspense, and comedy. — Publishers WeeklyPraise for Scott Magoon's Breathe: Huffington Post Best Books of 2014A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2014A Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 for Best Read Aloud and Best Books for Animal LoversPBS Best of 2014* Magoon's digital art captures the colors and crisp, airy light of the Arctic setting; cartoon lines and wide eyes present creatures above and under the ice as friendly, rounded and smiling... Richly composed and sweetly appealing — just right for baby storytimes as well as one-to-one sharing. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review