Slickety Quick: Poems about Sharks

by Skila Brown, Bob Kolar (Illustrator)

Fourteen shark species, from the utterly terrifying to the surprisingly docile, glide through the pages of this vibrantly illustrated, poetic picture book.

From the enormous whale shark to the legendary great white to the enigmatic goblin shark to the small cookie-cutter shark, Slickety Quick is a delightful frenzy of shark mayhem. Mysterious species such as the camouflaged wobbegong and the elusive frilled shark share the waters with better-known blue and nurse sharks, each commemorated in a poem by Skila Brown and illustrated by Bob Kolar. Sneaky shark facts ripple through each spread to further inform the brave and curious young reader intrigued by the power — and danger — of these amazing creatures.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Skila Brown is the author of verse novels Caminar and To Stay Alive, as well as the picture book Slickety Quick: Poems About Sharks, all with Candlewick Press. She received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Kentucky and Tennessee and now lives in Indiana where she writes books for readers of all ages.

Reviews

[Abby Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this collection of different types of poems about all different kinds of sharks. From the great white to the hammerhead, I think kids will find all their favorites here, plus some rarer sharks like the goblin shark and the cookie cutter shark. Each poem is accompanied by a brief fact about that species of shark.

Kids who love all things shark and know a lot about them will appreciate the whimsical and rhythmic verses. Kids who are looking to learn about sharks will need additional material.

I would have appreciated some back matter including more information about the shark species and/or about the types of poems included, but with so many nonfiction books about sharks available, kids who want to know more will have no problem finding additional resources.

This book was a joy to read!

[Jordan Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry/Informational NonFiction
Theme: Sharks
Grade level: K-4
Awards: Beehive Book Award, 2018, Winner, Poetry
Cybils Awards, 2016, Nominee, Poetry

Summary: Slickety Quick is a poetry book that teaches kids about different sharks. The book has poems about the Great White Shark, the Wobbegong, the Tiger Shark, the Blue Shark, the Frilled Shark, the Cookie-Cutter Shark, the Bull Shark, the Nurse Shark, the Mako Shark, the MegaMouth Shark, the Goblin Shark, the Whale Shark, the Angel Shark and finally, the Hammerhead. While there is a poem on each page, there is also a small section of facts about the shark on the same page.

Personal Response: I liked this book, but I'm not sure I would focus on something just about sharks. I feel as though this book would be better for someones child at home that really liked sharks.

Other info: As far as the poems go in this, I thought they were memorable and catchy. There are a lot of poems that use alliteration and poems built like this would help a child remember facts about the different sharks very easily.

Class Connections: If I used this in my classroom I could use it for a science lesson about the different layers in the ocean, I could connect this to where the different sharks may live. I could also use it for geography and talk about where the different sharks live in the world.

[Emma platek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the pictures and poems of this book. As well as it included many interesting facts about sharks and their species, including the use of numbers in the book. It uses poems to share facts about sharks, such as that they have teeth that grow back. It also highlights that they are fast swimmers, it also highlights differences in species and sizes of whale sharks and other species. One activity or game you can do with kids after reading this and learning about sharks is doing a shark bingo, and include words such as swim, shark, fin, teeth, ocean, water, fish, quick, etc. also it’s a good idea to explain and orally describe the words before staring the game. Kids can also learn from sensory play with buckets and water with boats, sharks and other sea animals. Older kids can orally talk to other students and pretend to be the animals while doing this, but this really helps younger kids and toddlers with sensory experience before learning and being exposed to more sensory and cognitive skills in preschool and older ages.

[Emma Platek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the pictures and poems of this book. As well as it included many interesting facts about sharks and their species, including the use of numbers in the book. It uses poems to share facts about sharks, such as that they have teeth that grow back. It also highlights that they are fast swimmers, it also highlights differences in species and sizes of whale sharks and other species. One activity or game you can do with kids after reading this and learning about sharks is coin, tin, are bingo, an, incle m, quick, el assis
a good idea to explain and orally describe the words before staring the game. Kids can also learn from sensory play with buckets and water with boats, sharks and other sea animals. Older kids can orally talk to other students and pretend to be the animals while doing this, but this really helps younger kids and toddlers with sensory experience before learning and being exposed to more sensory and cognitive skills in preschool and older ages.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharks are a popular topic for many children. Combining sharks with poetry is a brilliant way to get children who might not normally read poetry pick it up. Combine the fun poems with the gorgeous illustrations and the strangeness of the sharks and you have a truly winning book. That cover alone will encourage children to pick it up. I especially appreciated that the sharks covered in the book are both popular well known ones such as the great white, tiger and bull, but also some lesser known ones such as the nurse, cookie-cutter, and the megamouth. In addition to a poem on each shark, each two page spread includes a great illustration and an interesting fact. A great teaching book for teachers and students, but also just a fun read. I loved the fact that all these poems are great for reading out loud.

[Rachael Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about sharks, it has poems about each shark to describe them and then each page has a little passage with interesting facts about the shark. my first reaction to this book is it can be used across the curriculum and I found myself thinking of all the ways I could use it. The illustrations in this book are very colorful and have lots of details. I would use this with grades first- fourth, in first and second I would use it as a read-aloud to learn about poems/ poem structure but I would also use it to dig into science. In thrid and fourth I would use it as a research book. There are so many ways I could use this book in my classroom. it has a ton of great facts that I can make it into a science lesson. It also has good poetry in it which can be for a language arts lesson.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenge: Shark Week July 2022. Fourteen of the more than 400 sharks are presented in this book: the great white, wobbegong, tiger, blue, frilled, cookie-cutter, bull, nurse, mako, megamouth, goblin, whale, angel and hammerhead sharks. Each two-page spread has a fact paragraph for both children and adults to enhance their understanding of the varied types of sharks, and a poem that befits the special attributes of each. The digital illustrations rendered by Bob Kolar bring out the physical characteristics of each shark in a way that children would love while set within the mysterious environment of ocean and river depths. A fun book for 'shark week'.

[Abbi Sammons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slickety Quick: Poems about Sharks! is a really entertaining and instructive book! I adored how it blends interesting facts about sharks with lighthearted, captivating poetry. Learning about these incredible animals is made both entertaining and approachable by the lively and catchy poetry. The sharks are vividly brought to life by the strong, dynamic images, which perfectly convey the thrill of the water. The book's ability to make sharks seem approachable and even somewhat magical while yet offering factual and fascinating information is what I found most enjoyable. Anyone interested in sharks or ocean life should read it; it gave me a whole new respect for these animals!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book combines sharks with poetry... and they are both well done! Fourteen varieties of sharks are covered on colorful two-page spreads with digital illustrations, a creative poem, and a descriptive piece of information. This would be a great way to introduce poetry styles or a great addition to a unit on sea creatures for elementary students. I highly recommend this title for both school and public libraries because of both its quality and its uniqueness.

[Mackenzie Duda · Rating 5 out of 5]

COLLECTION OF POEMS:

Includes:
- shape poems
- 2 person poem (which I absolutely loved because both my partner and I were engaged)
- titles for each poem to show which shark is highlighted on that page
- all the poems are about different types of sharks
- there is a small paragraph on the bottom of each page of facts for each shark
- mainly blue and green colors used because it has an underwater setting

[Alexandra Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poems explore the fascinating world of sharks. Each poem has a unique perspective on sharks, from the fearsome great white shark to the mysterious species which inhabit the ocean. It combines poetry with scientific facts to create and engaging and informative look at the realm of sharks.
In the classroom, this book could be used to integrate science and poetry, promoting versatile learning.

[Dayanara Garza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talked about sharks in an informative, but fun way. It contains lots of onomotopeia and rhyming which makes it enjoyable to read and the kids will love all the sound effects. I enjoyed learning about the different types of sharks there are and the kids who love sharks and/or ocean animals will love and enjoy reading this book and learning about them. The words are kid-friendly and easy to understand. This book can be read before a whole-class lesson about sharks.

[Trent Escue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical poetry book. A book all about different sharks with a different shark prom on each page. With great illustrations, facts, and information about each shark. It is a very informal poem on each page a great fun way for learning about sharks. A fun activity to do with this book could be write your own informational poem about a topic of your choice. Draw a picture to go with the poem and take turns sharing with the class.

[Suzanne Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids love sharks. They will definitely check out this book. The side bar notes are fascinating. While I personally loved the poetry, I only gave three stars because I think a lot of kids who will be interested in this book will have trouble reading the poetry alone. I wish more of the poems were accessible for independent reading.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This children's book of poetry is centered around an unusual topic: sharks. Full page illustrated images are included with each poem, and each poem is both engaging and informative for readers of all ages. Topics included are the habitats, feeding habitats, and migration patterns of sharks, in addition to profiles and statistics on several types of sharks.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have thought of creating poetry about sharks! The illustrations were fun and well done. The poems were fun to read and informative at the same time. It was also a great idea to add a small description of the enormous variety of these creatures. I still don't like sharks but who knew that some very few of them are rather endearing!

[Addisyn Provi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poems about Sharks is such a fun book about all the different kinds of sharks! I would love to read this book in my classroom because the poems are so fun and creative, and hearing all the kids talk about the sharks would be cute! I would love to do a lesson on sharks and incorporating this book in the lesson would be super informative.

[Paige Cullotta]

This book is about sharks. The illustrations are bright and very kid friendly so I don’t think it would scare any of the young children. I think this book and the poems in the book could be incorporated into my learning in the classroom for the kids to not be feared by sharks and enjoy the story about a animal that lives in the ocean.

[Nikki Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredible book that I read with my daughter, she loves the poetry in it and got her attention. It gives an explanation on different types of sharks. The words on the first page looked like a fin of a shark. This would be a great book to read to my future students about sharks and the creatures of the sea!

[Alyssa Muzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book as an adult, this was great! I really enjoyed reading all of the different poems about each different shark. As each poem included a different factual element to the sharks - this is a great children's book as it includes a lot of different species of sharks that children can learn.

[Katelin Soroko · Rating 3 out of 5]

14 different poems about 14 different sharks. It gives information or descriptions about the sharks. Some of the poems are shaped like things on the shark, like the fin.
This is something that I might just have on my bookshelf for kids to read or a book I would use if we did an inquiry on sharks. I would also use it to introduce poems and how some people might write poems.

[Maggie Crose]

This book was a very well-written and poetic way to teach children about sharks. I like the writing style and it's different from most other informative books. I would use this book in a science lesson about animals to teach the class about how sharks live and the types of sharks that there are in the ocean.

[Sophia Oostman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and exciting book filled with poems all about different kinds of sharks! Each poem brings a new shark to life with playful words and cool facts, making learning about these amazing creatures fun. This book is a great way to spark curiosity about ocean life and make poetry exciting in the classroom!

[Paige Winkelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short, fun poems about different kinds of sharks. Each poem captures the personality and features of the shark in a playful and engaging way. Bright illustrations add excitement and spark curiosity about ocean life.
I would use this to introduce an ocean or animal science unit and spark conversation about different animal characteristics.

[Deonna Hankerson]

This poem was about all the different sharks and where they lived. It named so many sharks, even ones I personally did not know about. I would add this to the bookshelf because students would love this book and children in fact love reading about animals.

[Payton Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations and silly poems about different types of sharks. Some of the poems are not very factual though, or contain any information about the shark unless analyzed deeper and students might not receive the same material or benefits from this book without teacher guidance

[Reagen KJ]

This book is great for children who have a fascination with sharks, or just children looking for something new to learn about. As a future educator, I could see that using this book would be a great way to start a discussion with students and a great way to tie lessons together.

[Catherine Schaffrath]

This book could be used in classrooms to teach children about poems and offers a great way to teach about sharks. It's very unique and teaches children all about different species of sharks, their behavior, and their habitats. Can also spark children having interests regarding marine life.

[Riley Casner · Rating 1 out of 5]

The shark talks about how his body feels and looks along with what he eats. There is rhyming in the poems. The shark waits for hie prey. I would use this in my classroom if we had an inquiry about sharks and they wanted to know more about what sharks do.

[Kelsie Schlipf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a great educational to have in your library. I love that each shark has a personalized poem for each shark, but it also has a short paragraph with important facts about the shark. There are many ways that this could be used within lessons. The illustrations are high quality.