Lily Williams

"A nonfiction picture book tracing the repercussions of what would happen if sharks disappeared from our planet"--

If Sharks Disappeared

Rebecca Light

Was so excited to find this book. I'm passionate about sharks, changing their reputation, and managing the fear that has become overblown in pop culture. I think this fear has directly led to our apathy about things like shark finning and bycatch. Anyway, before I get off on a tangent, I'll just say I was disappointed here. The first image the illustrator reveals of a shark is totally Jaws-like, with the word SCARY underneath it. Not helping. Sharks are dangerous, but they don't have to be scary. We need to teach kids to respect sharks, not fear them. Sigh. The book goes on but sadly never really redefines that initial image of sharks as man-eating monsters of death with terrifying jaws. It does go through the science of what would happen to the ecosystem if sharks disappeared, but in a clinical way that I don't know would spark kids imaginations or passions. Good effort, but I fear this book missed the mark in a way that maybe does some harm. Lovely illustrations, except the scary shark one.

If Sharks Disappeared

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