Review: A Story with Real Bite!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 17, 2013
"Sammy the Shark" by Bobby Bishop is another fine book to help children understand that outward appearances do not matter; it's what's inside that matters most. Sammy is a shark, living in a designated ocean refuge, where fishing is not allowed, and many diverse aquatic species live there in abundance. Sammy is a friendly shark, but every time he swims up to another aquatic animal, his face is so fierce looking that he scares away the creatures he is trying to befriend. None of the other animals even give Sammy a chance. They just swim away as soon as they notice he is nearby.One day a catastrophe is about to befall the denizens of the refuge. Only Sammy is able to avert the mass slaughter of all the other fish who live in the refuge. After Sammy saves the day, the other fish realize he's not such a bad guy after all. Just because his face is scary does not mean HE is someone to be afraid of.This tale has only one drawback, in my opinion, but it's probably not a realistic concern. The story shows the rest of the fish finally accepting Sammy ONLY after he has done THEM a big favor. It would be nice if the other fish came to accept Sammy without him having to first prove himself worthy. Still, in the end the others do accept Sammy, and that is the main purpose of this book... to help children learn to accept others, regardless of what they may look like.Parents can and should quite easily explain to their children that you don't like somebody just because they do something for you. They can point out that Sammy is no different than he ever was, so all the other fish should have accepted him all along. I think this is a good book for children, and the very colorful illustrations are attractive and attention-grabbing. I have no doubt this will be a favorite among the "read me a story" set.