Giant Shark: Megalodon, the Super Prehistoric Predator
Grade 4-6-Arnold's readable, informative book, which looks at a giant marine predator that cruised the Miocene and Pliocene seas for millions of years, will grab shark lovers and dinophiles alike. Though no complete megalodon skeleton has been discovered to date, the author has compiled the data from numerous partial finds, compared it with that of modern sharks with likely close relationships, and extrapolated possible physical characteristics and behaviors. Her calculations have been vetted by several experts, as have Caple's liquid watercolors, which perfectly complement the text. Some purists may grumble at Arnold's terming a 52-foot megalodon as "the largest ocean predator" (60-foot sperm whales not being vegetarians), but this is a most minor carp. Overall, this book's glowing artwork, clearly accessible text, and engrossing subject will attract readers like a magnet does iron filings.Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.