Whale sharks have swum and chomped their ways into kids' hearts. With this book, readers can become whale shark experts and learn how to save the animals they love. Featuring an introduction from Chelsea Clinton! Did you know that whale sharks are sometimes called domino fish because of the spots on their backs? How about that the smallest recorded whale shark was only fifteen inches long? Or that whale sharks have teeth on their eyes?  Perfect for all animal lovers--and whale shark fans in particular--this book is filled with information that young readers will love to learn. From where whale shark habitats are found to what it's like to be a whale shark to why whale sharks are endangered and who has been working hard to save them, this book gives readers all the facts they know to become whale shark experts. Complete with black-and-white photographs, a list of fun whale shark facts, and things that kids can do right this very moment to help save whale sharks from extinction, this book, with an introduction by animal advocate Chelsea Clinton, is a must for every family, school, and community library. "Eloquent and informative." – Kirkus Reviews Anita Sanchez (she/her) is especially fascinated by plants and animals that no one loves, and the unusual, often ignored wild places of the world. Her books sing the praises of the unappreciated: dandelions, poison ivy, tarantulas, mud puddles. Many years of fieldwork and teaching outdoor classes have given her firsthand experience in introducing students to the wonders of nature. You can visit her online at anitasanchez.com and follow her on Twitter @asanchezauthor. Chelsea Clinton (she/her) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of She Persisted, She Persisted Around the World, She Persisted in Sports, She Persisted in Science , Don't Let Them Disappear, It's Your World and Start Now!, as well as Grandma's Gardens and The Book of Gutsy Women, which she wrote with Hillary Clinton, and Governing Global Health with Devi Sridhar. Chelsea earned a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she is now an adjunct assistant professor, and a PhD in international relations from Oxford University. She is also the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives, including those that help empower the next generation of leaders. She lives in New York City with her husband, Marc, their three children and their dog, Soren. 1 The Biggest Mystery in the Sea Shark! The passengers on the boat stare wide-eyed into the clear water. A huge, dark shape glides just under the surface, jaws stretched in a massive grin. The shark is bigger than a person, bigger than an elephant, bigger than the boat! Its enormous mouth is wide enough to swallow you whole. But don’t worry! This is a gentle giant. An Ancient Mystery Whale sharks are an ancient life form, evolved many millions of years ago, long before humans appeared, and they’re still here today. They’re the biggest fish in the world, but they eat the smallest things in the sea. Whale sharks are among the most mysterious creatures in the ocean. In spite of the fact that they’re so laid-back that divers canget close enough to touch them, scientists know surprisingly little about them. We’re just beginning to explore the many mysteries of the whale shark. One reason why whale sharks are so mysterious is that they’re always on the move. Endlessly crisscrossing the great oceans, they roam the deep waters of the globe. Three-quarters of the whale sharks of the world live in the Pacific Ocean, while the rest live in the Atlantic. Scientists haven’t yet figured out if these two populations ever meet each other and have young. Whale sharks mostly stay in warm tropical waters near the equator, but they sometimes come into regions of cooler waters to search for food. Whale sharks wander through the ocean, often traveling thousands of miles in a year. Sometimes they swim far down into the shadowy depths of the sea, in waters more than a mile deep. Sometimes they come right up near the shore in shallow water, giving human swimmers a scary surprise! Big Mouth, Small Food Although its mouth is hugely wide, the whale shark’s throat is very small—­not much bigger around than a baseball. No big fish can fit down that narrow tube. Whale sharks avoid sucking in fish that are larger than your little finger. And most of their prey is even smaller. It’s amazing to think of something the size of a school bus feeding on teeny minnows and sardines. But whale sharks’ favorite food is something so small that you can barely see it. Plankton is the name scientists give to many different species of tiny plants and shrimp-­like animals that float in the open waters of the ocean. One speck of plankton is so small you need a microscope to see it, and a million of these tiny organisms could fit in a teaspoon. A whale shark can swallow milli