Join Clark the Shark as he discovers the true meaning of sharing and caring in this colorful read-aloud picture book written by Bruce Hale and illustrated by Guy Francis. In Clark the Shark Dares to Share , our favorite boisterous shark learns that sharing is caring—but sometimes the lesson is a little confusing. Clark shares his funky shark dance with the class, but Mrs. Inkydink tells him he has to wait his turn. Clark shares his reef-hockey skills, but his teammates would rather Clark share the puck. With help from his friends and with his trademark lively rhythms and rhymes, Clark learns how to share in this follow-up to Clark the Shark . PreS-Gr 2—Clark the Shark loves school, but sometimes he gets confused. Why, for example, is he supposed to share his caps with his brother but it's not okay to ask Amanda to share her ice cream? Why isn't it sharing when he decides on his own to take a turn at a game behind his friend's back? By the end of the story, Clark realizes that sharing, although complicated, might be worth getting right. The energetic story combines bright, colorful cartoonish illustrations with humorous text to address the concept of sharing. As in the previous book, the characters in Clark's world speak in an enthusiastic tone and much of the text rhymes. Exaggerated facial expressions help convey their emotions. Although the book explores the many ways to share, the message is driven home in a rather didactic manner. The text is too long to read aloud for a preschool storytime, but this book could be helpful for parents to read one-on-one with their child to start a discussion of when and how to share.—Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public Library Clark the shark is a zealous character with a big heart, a positive attitude, and a love for life and learning. But sometimes his enthusiasm, which Hale captures in a loud, bolded font, and an unawareness of his size and a poor sense of space complicate how he perceives things. When Mrs. Inkydink tries to teach him how to share, he becomes “befuddled and bewildered” because of his literal leanings. Each time he feels that he understands sharing, he is unknowingly hogging. Hale utilizes offbeat rhymes to define sharing, and places Clark in different situations, with each puzzle piece to put together. Clark comes close to losing his cool when his brother ruins one of his many favorite hats, which he borrowed without permission. That’s when the lightbulb goes off: “Sharing is confusing . . . but . . . might be worth getting right.” With lots of determination and help from those around him, Clark learns how to genuinely share and celebrates how awesome it feels in true “Funky Shark” fashion. Preschool-Grade 2. --Annie Miller Hip, hop, skiddly-widdly-wop! Clark the Shark loves learning, but sometimes the lessons are bewildering—especially sharing. Clark shares his funky shark dance with the class, but Mrs. Inkydink tells him he's interrupting. Clark shares his reef hockey skills, but his teammates would rather Clark share the puck. With a little help from his friends, Clark the Shark discovers how breaking and taking is different from sharing and caring, and that we should all dare to share! Bruce Hale has written and/or illustrated over sixty books for kids and is the author of the Clark the Shark series; the award-winning Chet Gecko Mysteries series; Snoring Beauty , one of Oprah’s Recommended Reads for Kids; and the School for S.P.I.E.S. series. In his free time, Bruce enjoys hiking, watching movies, and making music. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, dog, and many hats. You can catch him online at brucehale.com. Guy Francis spends most of his time drawing, painting, and drawing some more. He has done a variety of illustration work in the children’s market, including editorial and educational illustration, chapter books, and picture books. He freelances from his home in Provo, Utah, where his wife and four children are his own personal art critics and bring a healthy bit of chaos to the studio. Every now and then he gets out of the house and heads to the mountains with his family. You can visit him online at www.guyfrancis.com.