Review: Shark Lady

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It’s time to join once again with Kid Lit Frenzy to celebrate the best of children’s literature for young people.

Harcover, 40 pages
June 6, 2017 : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Source: Raincoast Books

This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady.

Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn’t imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. But Eugenie quickly discovered that many people believed sharks to be ugly and scary―and they didn’t think women should be scientists.

Determined to prove them wrong, Eugenie devoted her life to learning about sharks. After earning several college degrees and making countless discoveries, Eugenie wrote herself into the history of science, earning the nickname “Shark Lady.” Through her accomplishments, she taught the world that sharks were to be admired rather than feared and that women can do anything they set their minds to.

An inspiring story by critically acclaimed zoologist Jess Keating about finding the strength to discover truths that others aren’t daring enough to see. Includes a timeline of Eugenie’s life and many fin-tastic shark facts!

Another picture book biography of Eugenie Clark! Eugenie Clark is a fitting role model for girls and young women with big dreams. Clark fell in love with sharks as a little girl, and spent the rest of her life researching sharks, dreaming of sharks, writing about sharks, swimming with sharks, and sharing her passion for these beautiful, misunderstood creatures with the world. By refusing to let others define her, Clark challenged gender and racial stereotypes to become a highly respected scientific pioneer, and an inspiration for generations to come.

Zoologist and author Jess Keating, who brought us the sensational Pink is for Blobfish, admirably captures Eugenie’s tireless passion, insatiable curiosity, and boundless determination. As Keating puts it, “her dream was a big as a whale shark”, and the path she took to achieve that dream is shared in loving detail.

As one reviewer mentions, Keating emphasises the restrictions and limitations that Clark faced as a woman pursuing a career in science, her background as a Japanese-American is only barely mentioned, which is a bit of a shame. While Clark did triumph over sexism, she was also a mixed-race person with Japanese ancestry, and had to contend with racial prejudice as well as sexism in order to achieve her dreams, proving to naysayers that you didn’t have to be a man or white to achieve professional and personal success.

Marta Alvarez Miguens’ illustrations are beautifully inviting, with brilliant colours and sharks that are more engaging than terrifying. Her ocean scenes brim with vibrancy and life, and will surely delight and fascinate young readers.

A collection of shark facts, titled “shark bites”, provides additional information on shark biology and behaviour, while a timeline lays out in more detail significant events in Clark’s momentous life.

Shark Lady is a gorgeous, engaging celebration of a woman who refused to give up on her dreams, and who helped make the world a better place simply by pursuing her ambition, and not letting anyone stand in her way. Highly recommended.