Saving Shark Pup by Sharon Dalgleish. Illus. by Amandine Thomas

Subtitled, the incredible true story, this engrossing tale gives readers an alternative view of sharks and their place in the environment, as a shark pup washes up on the beach.

Surprisingly a shark pup washes up on the beach at Manly in 2017. People try to drag it out to deeper water but can not get deep enough. Several divers with mesh gloves and a net carry the pup put to deeper waters, but disorientated the shark washes up on to the rocks, and is scratched and hurt.

The divers try once again. Using a net they lift the shark out of the water and take it to the Manly ocean pool where it rests for a while, all the humans having vacated the pool.

Locals bring the exhausted divers food and drink and sunglasses against the streaming afternoon sun. But they must use their chain mail gloves to guide the shark way from the sharp edges of the pool, and for an animal of its size, the pool is not deep enough.

Later, a rescue team takes the shark to a sea water tank where the shark can swim in deep water. Divers stay with it to ensure it stays safe. Once again the shark is lifted out of the space, this time taken onto a boat and out to sea where it is released.

The animal was not tagged, saving distress, so no one knows it if survived, but it was given a good chance of doing so by the community which helped in its rescue.

Illustrations support the story, focussing on the shark and its environment at various times during its rescue.

On each page are separate sentences in italics about sharks and their behaviour. Readers will quickly absorb this information testing against what they already know and watching the images of this shark’s rescue for clues about the shark and its needs.

The book not only gives a satisfying story about an animal rescue, but also shows what a community can do, working together, and learning a great deal about sharks as they read.

Themes: Sharks, Ocean, Animal rescues, Community.

Fran Knight