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Smart About Sharks
It’s time to learn about the sea’s most feared (and most misunderstood) sharks!
Owen Davey returns to nonfiction to explain the mysteries of those denizens of the deep. Some deadly, some not-so-deadly, and almost all just generally misunderstood. Exciting and detailed illustrations fill the page and educate young readers about these thrilling residents of the sea! Delivering information with the same whimsical text and brash illustration that saw his previous book win the affection of the Wall Street Journal, Smart About Sharks is sure to have teeth!
Owen Davey returns to nonfiction to explain the mysteries of those denizens of the deep. Some deadly, some not-so-deadly, and almost all just generally misunderstood. Exciting and detailed illustrations fill the page and educate young readers about these thrilling residents of the sea! Delivering information with the same whimsical text and brash illustration that saw his previous book win the affection of the Wall Street Journal, Smart About Sharks is sure to have teeth!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2016
2 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Owen Davey
78 books61 followersOwen Davey describes his style as contemporary and nostalgic and likes to use a palette of warm, muted colors. His work has been featured in the New York Times and Jamie Oliver's food magazine. Owen has had many knightly adventures of his own where he lives in Bristol, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 30, 2025
Owen Davey does a fantastic job of making learning fun! The illustrations are perfect - young marine biologists will love this book. Sharks have gotten such a bad reputation (I think the book/movie Jaws is one of the reasons why) but they are instrumental in providing a healthy marine environment. Fun and informative!
May 15, 2019
As with all the books I have read in this series the illustrations are beautiful, it is nicely presented and the information is interesting. They are such a lovely series to look through. Perhaps could have been longer, at 35 pages it felt quite short. I have several books on sharks, they are so fascinating and diverse, I couldn't help wanting more, but still a lovely colourful introduction.
July 1, 2016
* I was sent this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review *
This book is one I requested as I loved the cover and the art style seemed really lovely too. I was so happy to receive the book as, like all Nobrow books, it was beautifully published and I found it a joy to read and learn from.
This book is a non-fiction, illustrated look at sharks. It's quite simple as it's aimed at beginners and children, but I definitely learned a few things from it as I'm a bit of a novice myself :)
Overall a 3.5* read and would be a lovely addition to any child's library!
This book is one I requested as I loved the cover and the art style seemed really lovely too. I was so happy to receive the book as, like all Nobrow books, it was beautifully published and I found it a joy to read and learn from.
This book is a non-fiction, illustrated look at sharks. It's quite simple as it's aimed at beginners and children, but I definitely learned a few things from it as I'm a bit of a novice myself :)
Overall a 3.5* read and would be a lovely addition to any child's library!
July 6, 2016
Loved this book. Beautifully illustrated and I actually learnt quite a lot as a shark novice. This would be perfect for any child with an interest in the natural world.
*I was gifted this book for an honest review
*I was gifted this book for an honest review
June 18, 2018
You always learn something new.
Fasicnating creatures
Sharks are mysterious, fascinating and powerful animals. I love all kinds of animals, and sharks are a species that is very exciting to learn about, escpecially since they are very misunderstood, in movies. Getting caught by sharks doesn't happen as often as in movies or in Tv-series. There's greater chance of getting into other different accidents.
When sharks attack human beings, it's usually because of a mistake. Under the surface, especially when it comes to surfers, the sharks think you're a seal or a turtle. It bites to see if it's anything to eat.
Author Owen Davey has both written and illustrated the book. The illustrations are simple and playful. You may want to take time to read the book, even though it is only 37 pages long, just to study the illustrations. One gets to know about different shark types, how the sharks works socially, their movements and the end of the book there's also tips on how we can help to protect the sharks and the enviroment. Plastic is a key word. I have recycled plastic in several years and urge others to do the same. It doesn't take long to sort your own trash. The animals and the enviroment must be taken care of. It's important!
This is a nice book about sharks for both young and old readers. A nice gathering time for the whole family. The book is a bit short and therefor challenging to write about, but sharks never stop fascinating and you still learn something new. You also learn new things in Smart About Sharks.
On the Discovery Channel, they have shark week every year, and this year there's a rumor that the shark week begins on July, 22th. Something to look forward to!
September 11, 2016
If Wes Anderson wrote a book about sharks. (In the very best way.)
June 25, 2017
Very informative, attractive illustrations, and a little blurb about conservation at the end. Great!
August 31, 2021
Beautiful and educational. Owen Davey's illustrations just grab me. Full of great information about sharks (and not a fear-mongering type of book, thank goodness, and most of the sharks are depicted in fairly tame ways, though if you have sensitive youngsters you might want to preview as the great white with open mouth is a bit scary). I think this would be great for elementary age kids, but even adults will find much to appreciate. My 5 1/2 year old and 8 year old both enjoyed it. Wish there was a Bibliography, otherwise I might have given it five stars.
August 29, 2016
Beautiful and informative
December 30, 2018
A beautifully illustrated nonfiction book about sharks for younger kids. Unlike a lot of kids' nonfiction, the author eschews color photographs in favor of stylish (yet accurate) illustrations. The text relates fantastic facts with humor, and it includes a table of contents and index. This is short enough to read out loud to a kiddo with a good attention span, or older kids can dip into it on their own. The illustrations and format also allow for exploration in that manner. I think my favorite illustration is the section on shark attacks, which shows the way a surfer can resemble a sea lion or sea turtle from the shark's perspective.
June 1, 2021
I adore these nonfiction picture books by Owen Davey! This one was about sharks and I enjoyed it and actually learned some new facts I had no clue about, like the actual size of a megalodon vs a great white shark vs a human (it's quite terrifying!). I had never seen pictures of the Birdbeak Dogfish Shark or the Megamouth Shark, and the Sand Tiger Shark babies are scary in utero! I did not know there was so much Shark mythology out there, and my favorite was the Fijian folklore about Dakuwaqa, the half-man half-shark god! Recommended for ages 6-10, 4 stars.
April 18, 2018
Fantastisk bok om hai for barn. Illustrasjonene minner meg om konseptkunst for videospill (på en bra måte!), og all trivia er interessant og konsist presentert. Relativt lettlest for de som kan lese litt selv, da tekstsegmentene er relativt oppstykket.
May 4, 2022
Flying Eye books, generally, and Owen Davey, specifically approach the intersection of “art” and “children’s book” beautifully with Smart About Sharks.
A wonderful and whimsical illustrated subject-book that doesn’t get bogged down too much by an overload of information.
There is time and a place for an onslaught of data and hard numbers, but in my opinion, kindergarten-level books aren’t always the place for that.
Smart About Sharks does a great job at being factual while also keeping the subject matter interesting.
Owen Davey and Flying Eye are my first place to look for informational books for kids.
A wonderful and whimsical illustrated subject-book that doesn’t get bogged down too much by an overload of information.
There is time and a place for an onslaught of data and hard numbers, but in my opinion, kindergarten-level books aren’t always the place for that.
Smart About Sharks does a great job at being factual while also keeping the subject matter interesting.
Owen Davey and Flying Eye are my first place to look for informational books for kids.
December 18, 2022
2.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️💫
Beautiful illustrations, but the information left me wanting more. Some of the facts were a bit too vague for me, others felt unfinished. Overall, one of the better informative picture books about sharks that I've read, though.
Beautiful illustrations, but the information left me wanting more. Some of the facts were a bit too vague for me, others felt unfinished. Overall, one of the better informative picture books about sharks that I've read, though.
September 26, 2017
I love the unique illustrations and information.
May 8, 2018
A very pretty and interesting non-fiction book about sharks!
January 16, 2018
Love everything about this picture book about sharks. Fun illustrations and oodles of fun facts for kids (and grown-ups) to nerd out on --
May 4, 2017
A pink book about Sharks? Yes and yes.💗 Owen Davey has a ongoing series about animals. (Mad About Monkeys 🐒 and coming out with a new one called Crazy About Cats 🐆🐅) The illustrations are sharp and the info interesting and thorough! #kidsbooksworthreading #kidsbook #kidsbookstagram #kidsbooks #kidsnonfiction #smartaboutsharks #sharks #flyingeyebooks #owendavey
August 12, 2016
Owen Davey has created a beautiful book about sharks. My female students love animal books as much as the males do, but they are not always happy with the aesthetic appearance of nonfiction books. I think Smart About Sharks will not have that problem, especially with pink as the background color for the cover. The table of contents is located within a sea of grayish-blue full of sea weed and sharks. There is a large 2-page spread showing the relative size of each species that is awesome in its ability to convey the wide range of possibilities. And another page showing a comparison of a Dwarf lanternshark to a standard #2 pencil is genius. Every school child knows what size a pencil is, so this is an easy way for them to see that not all sharks are the size of the great white in "Jaws."
A wide selection of sharks of different sizes and abilities are included. Commonly known species like the whale shark and nurse shark are seen, along with those of lesser notoriety such as lemon sharks or wobbegongs. The illustrations are crisp and clean without being cold or mechanical. They have a retro vibe to them that makes the book feel like an instant classic. And the section on shark mythology shows how widespread the attention to these creatures is and how long humans have been fascinated by them.
The facts are presented in bite-size chunks. (Did you see what I did there?) Several different types of charts and diagrams are used to present facts such as the adaptations that make sharks such effective predators, or the comparative number of pups produced by two different species of sharks. There are catchy headings for each section. Young readers may not catch the allusions to famous phrases ("All Fins Considered" - "All Things Considered," or "Eat, Prey, Hunt" - "Eat, Pray, Love") but adults who will be reading along with many of those youngsters will appreciate the humor.
This is an excellent addition to any library collection, especially those serving an elementary or middle school audience. While the text is not overly technical, it also does not talk down to young readers. The author seems to understand that those who are fascinated with a subject will usually have the patience to work out what the text says so that they may satisfy their curiosity.
I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes.
A wide selection of sharks of different sizes and abilities are included. Commonly known species like the whale shark and nurse shark are seen, along with those of lesser notoriety such as lemon sharks or wobbegongs. The illustrations are crisp and clean without being cold or mechanical. They have a retro vibe to them that makes the book feel like an instant classic. And the section on shark mythology shows how widespread the attention to these creatures is and how long humans have been fascinated by them.
The facts are presented in bite-size chunks. (Did you see what I did there?) Several different types of charts and diagrams are used to present facts such as the adaptations that make sharks such effective predators, or the comparative number of pups produced by two different species of sharks. There are catchy headings for each section. Young readers may not catch the allusions to famous phrases ("All Fins Considered" - "All Things Considered," or "Eat, Prey, Hunt" - "Eat, Pray, Love") but adults who will be reading along with many of those youngsters will appreciate the humor.
This is an excellent addition to any library collection, especially those serving an elementary or middle school audience. While the text is not overly technical, it also does not talk down to young readers. The author seems to understand that those who are fascinated with a subject will usually have the patience to work out what the text says so that they may satisfy their curiosity.
I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes.
September 1, 2016
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
What I learned from reading Smart About Sharks to my 3-year-old grandson is that he wants to interact with the books that we are reading together. This is different from his sister who wants to know the story. Davick really liked the pictures in this book—all the different types of sharks, their size and shape, and most importantly the size of their teeth. He wasn't particularly interesting in having me read all the interesting facts the book has, he just wanted to talk with me about the pictures.
I learned a great deal that I didn't know about sharks, and I think that a 7 or 8-year-old would have a great time with this book. I can even see Davick transitioning from his fascination with dinosaurs to a fascination with sharks if I present this book to him again in a year or so. More importantly, this book is a great introduction to nonfiction reading for children. It has a table of contents and an index.
What I learned from reading Smart About Sharks to my 3-year-old grandson is that he wants to interact with the books that we are reading together. This is different from his sister who wants to know the story. Davick really liked the pictures in this book—all the different types of sharks, their size and shape, and most importantly the size of their teeth. He wasn't particularly interesting in having me read all the interesting facts the book has, he just wanted to talk with me about the pictures.
I learned a great deal that I didn't know about sharks, and I think that a 7 or 8-year-old would have a great time with this book. I can even see Davick transitioning from his fascination with dinosaurs to a fascination with sharks if I present this book to him again in a year or so. More importantly, this book is a great introduction to nonfiction reading for children. It has a table of contents and an index.
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September 13, 2016From Morgan:
"Smart About Sharks by Owen Davey showcases all sorts of shark facts using vintage style illustrations. Did you you know that a Dwarf Lantern Shark is the size of a pencil? Or that the Megamouth Shark has a glow-in-the-dark mouth? The silhouette of a seal and turtle next to a human on a surfboard next helps explain why sharks might sometimes attack humans, but the importance of sharks in mythology and ocean ecology emphasize more positive human-shark connections. Standard explorations of adaptations, species, and life cycles are elevated by eye-catching page compositions and interesting infographics. Compare sizes and shapes in the illustration below. The included index is organized by scientific name for each order and species."
"Smart About Sharks by Owen Davey showcases all sorts of shark facts using vintage style illustrations. Did you you know that a Dwarf Lantern Shark is the size of a pencil? Or that the Megamouth Shark has a glow-in-the-dark mouth? The silhouette of a seal and turtle next to a human on a surfboard next helps explain why sharks might sometimes attack humans, but the importance of sharks in mythology and ocean ecology emphasize more positive human-shark connections. Standard explorations of adaptations, species, and life cycles are elevated by eye-catching page compositions and interesting infographics. Compare sizes and shapes in the illustration below. The included index is organized by scientific name for each order and species."
January 23, 2017
3.5/5 Stars
Smart About Sharks was a fun, colorfully illustrated introduction to sharks. It is a good introductory book (aimed toward children, but even adults can enjoy it) about sharks, what they are, parts (and their function) of a shark, eating/hunting, behavior, sizes, interesting facts about sharks in general (and specific species), reproduction, myths, and human impact on sharks. I enjoyed this book, I certainly learned some new things about sharks that I didn’t know before, and the illustrations were beautiful.
Smart About Sharks was a fun, colorfully illustrated introduction to sharks. It is a good introductory book (aimed toward children, but even adults can enjoy it) about sharks, what they are, parts (and their function) of a shark, eating/hunting, behavior, sizes, interesting facts about sharks in general (and specific species), reproduction, myths, and human impact on sharks. I enjoyed this book, I certainly learned some new things about sharks that I didn’t know before, and the illustrations were beautiful.
August 6, 2016
Full of lots of information on sharks with fun illustrations and facts.
My favourite shark facts were:
1. There are over 500 unique species of shark!! I had no idea.
2. Some sharks are capable of producing venom!!
3. Shark offspring are called pups!
I also loved that this book touches on the fact that many shark species are on endangered and at risk lists, and it gives tips on what we can do to help keep their oceans healthy! :)
My favourite shark facts were:
1. There are over 500 unique species of shark!! I had no idea.
2. Some sharks are capable of producing venom!!
3. Shark offspring are called pups!
I also loved that this book touches on the fact that many shark species are on endangered and at risk lists, and it gives tips on what we can do to help keep their oceans healthy! :)
November 16, 2016
I fell in love with this book immediately. Love at first site! The science is solid and completely age-appropriate (5+), the design is gorgeous, and the subject is epic for kiddom. I can't decide whether to buy it and display it or carry it with me everywhere I go (the way the child me did with my favorite, favorite things).
February 26, 2017
This is one of my new favorite non-fic books. The retro presentation and simple but informative text means this book will be of interest to all for years to come. The author's witty chapter titles leave a grin on your face as the knowledge leaps off the page to caress your welcoming neurons as you soak up this invigorating wealth of information.
October 12, 2016
Really enjoyed this book. Great art and interesting facts. Explained shark anatomy, taxonomy and some other fun shark facts very well. Loved the variation in page layouts and typography as well. Great for any shark enthusiast K or 1st grade and up.
November 16, 2016
This is a great book about sharks. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think that kids will really love it. It is very informative and engaging. The artwork is a beautiful palette which provides wonderful depictions of sharks I had never even heard of! I learned a lot from this little book.
April 13, 2016
Beautiful illustrations with just enough text on each page - will definitely purchase for my library.
January 10, 2017
Informative, very thorough, and a pleasure to look at. I felt as if I were in the shark exhibit at a natural history museum.
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February 3, 2017Beautiful illustrations and lovely printed format!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews