Sharks in Kansas?

Sharks in Kansas: The Ancient Sea in the Middle of America

by Melissa Stewart; illus. by Becca Stadtlander 

40 pages; ages 4-8

‎Random House Studio, 2026

themes: sharks, prehistoric ocean, nonfiction

Sharks in Kansas? Seems impossible, right? After all, Kansas is smack-dab in the middle of the United States – more than 1,000 miles from the closest ocean…

… and when we think of Kansas we imagine waving fields of wheat, not ocean waves! But here’s the thing: our world hasn’t always looked the way it does now. And Melissa Stewart takes us back in time to 85 million years ago to show us what scientists imagine Kansas looked like, and some of the amazing creatures that lived there. Back then, it was part of a vast interior seaway, with dinosaurs roaming the shores and sharks swimming the deep waters. Many kinds of sharks including the Cretoxyrhina which grew to 26 feet long! (That’s like five of me lined up head to toe!)

What I like about this book:  I love the diversity of sea life that Melissa introduces, with quick facts in sidebars. Not only does she tell what they are, their size, and where they sit on the food chain, she provides a pronunciation guide for each creature. That 26-foot-long shark, for example: kruh-tox-ee-RIE-nuh. Through words and illustrations we see the inland seaway shrink until all that’s left are chalky bluffs filled with coccolithophores and fertile soil beneath which the SHARKS lie! Back matter tells more about the geological changes over time.

Beyond the Books:

What did your state look like 90 million years ago? Check out the ancient earth globe.

Try one of the shark crafts listed at https://craftprojectideas.com/now-trending/shark-week/. I like the “feed the shark” activity myself.

Watch the sharks at the Georgia Aquarium via their “shark-cam”.

How long is a shark? Use chalk to draw a line 26 feet long on a sidewalk (or use a clothesline on a lawn). Have you and your friends lie down end-to-end ... how many of you does it take to make one giant prehistoric shark?

Melissa writes tons of books about science and is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website https://melissa-stewart.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by Blue Slip Media, who graciously shares publisher’s copies with reviewers like me.

Go Fish!

This week I fished two books out from the depths of my "to be reviewed" basket.
theme: fish, nature, ocean

Just Like Us! Fish
by Bridget Heos; illus. by David Clark
32 pages; ages 4-7
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2018

People walk on land and need air to breathe. Fish, on the other hand, have fins and spend their whole lives underwater. So how could we be anything alike? 

Bridget Heos gives us the inside scoop. She reveals secrets of breathing underwater, and tricks of hunting for food. We learn how to hide from predators and how to make friends with fierce fish.

What I like about this book: It's fun! Between Bridget's zany section headings (Peanut Butter and Jellyfish) and David Clark's cartoony illustrations, we learn lots of stuff about fish and their underwater neighbors. We meet clown fish, sunfish, and cleaner wrasses. What I like about David's illustrations is the way he combines his cartoon fish with photos of real fish. And of course there's Back Matter - a glossary, and some web articles and books for curious icthyologists-in-training.

This book is in the same series as Just Like Us! Plants, and Just Like Us! Ants.

Of course, if we're talking fish we have to include sharks! Now out in paperback:

Face to Face with Sharks
by David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes
32 pages; ages 7-10
National Geographic Children's Book, 2018

David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes are wildlife photographers and researchers. They have spent hours swimming with sharks! According to Jennifer, not only do they like sharks, but sharks are their favorite subject to snap photos of.

What I like about this book: It's divided into four chapters, with the last one focusing on conservation. Shark populations are declining - and the researchers make strong arguments for why we should take action to help them. I also like the sidebars, including one on "how not to get eaten by a shark". Back matter includes actions kids can take to help sharks, and shark facts.

Beyond the books:
Make your own "Go Fish" deck of cards and play some games. You can find some cards to print and color here - and check out their shark game, too. You can find rules for "Go Fish" here.

Create or design your own fish. For ideas, check out the Erie Art Museum's "Go Fish" project.

Visit an aquarium - or a pet store - and sketch a few fish. How are they alike? How are they different? Check out this Fish Page from National Geographic.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books. We'll join Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website - after the Holiday Story Contest is finished. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.
Review copies provided by the publishers.