Friday, May 10, 2019

Review: Great White Shark Adventure by Fabien Cousteau and James O. Fraioli


GREAT WHITE SHARK ADVENTURE
by Fabien Cousteau and
James O. Fraioli
Illustrated by Joe St. Pierre
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Middle Grade Adventure / Graphic Novel
112 pages
ages 8 to 12


Two young explorers join Fabien Cousteau and his team to get up close and personal with great white sharks in this start to a series of graphic adventure novels.

Junior explorers Bella and Marcus join famed explorer Fabien Cousteau and his research team as they embark on an ocean journey off the coast of South Africa, where the world’s largest concentrations of great white sharks are found. Their mission is to investigate a sighting of a massive white shark, and tag it so they can track and protect it. Along the way, they’ll encounter whales, seals, dolphins, penguins, and a colorful array of other marine life. They’ll also enter a shark cage and come face to face with these powerful creatures. 

Dramatic, graphic illustrations and a compelling story help young readers discover tons of facts about sharks and other marine creatures. Children will also learn the many damaging myths about sharks, why they are so misunderstood, and what is being done to protect them from further exploitation and possible extinction.


 MY TIDBITS

With the bonus of being a graphic novel, this book tackles tons of sea life information and builds in an adventure along the way.

Famous explorer, Fabien Cousteau, invites his two young friends to join him on a high sea adventure as they head out to tag a great white shark. But the shark isn't the only thing they discover along the way.

Graphic novels are a huge hit with my kids, and I was excited to receive one which puts an educational twist in along the way. The book opens immediately with the strong message that sharks are endanger and gives one reason why. From there, it switches to the adventure itself. Starring Fabien Cousteau, two young boys accompany him and his crew out to the ocean. The adventure blows through, making sure the pacing stays high. All the while, information...very factual...accompanies the adventure and provides tons of facts and knowledge to the reader.

The illustrations are top notch and a treat to follow, but considering the illustrator, this isn't surprising. Fans of graphics will enjoy the book from this aspect alone.

While all of these wonderful aspects promise a great read, the information part is heavy. The constant stream of knowledge doesn't flow into the dialogue naturally, and the amount of text greatly outweighs that which is usually found in graphic novels. While kids who have a keen interest in learning more about sea life will enjoy this, others—and especially reluctant readers—might not stay engrossed in the pages.

Still, it's a great way to bring knowledge across to the reader and also provides some important, environmental issues.

I received a complimentary copy and am leaving my honest thoughts.



And here they are...
The Author...
James O. Fraioli is a published author of twenty-five books and an award-winning filmmaker. Fraioli has traveled the globe alongside experienced guides, naturalists, and scientists, and has spent considerable time exploring and writing about the outdoors. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Aquarium and works with many environmental organizations. Learn more about his work at VesperEntertainment.com

The Illustrator...
Joe St. Pierre has illustrated for Marvel and DC Comics, and has the distinction of penciling the most #1 issues featuring Spider=Man and the Spider-Man family. Joe also works in the fields of intellectual property design, commercial illustration and storyboards for animation and video games. Clients have included MTV, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and PBS. Joe's publishing company, Astronaut Ink, highlights his creator-owned properties: the award-winning MEFAHURTZ, BOLD BLOOD, ad NEW ZODIAX. See his work at Astronautink.com


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