“Who am I?” wonders Shark Baby. When his “mermaid’s purse” egg case is torn loose in a storm, he finds himself on a journey through different ocean habitats: kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows. He learns what kind of shark he isn’t, but not what kind he is. He needs to find the “mermaid” to learn where he belongs, but the ocean is big and full of dangers. Will he find out who he is―and what he can do―in time? K-Gr 1-As Shark Baby opens, the title character is still in his egg case (also called a mermaid's purse), yet is curious about himself and the world around him. Rough waters jar the case loose from its kelp strand and when it tears slightly, Shark Baby is able to peek out and talk to other marine creatures. On the ocean floor, he meets a horn shark, a pajama shark, and then an octopus that suggests that he find the mermaid. The mermaid (really a manatee) sends him back to the kelp forest where he learns that he is a swell shark. The large, full-spread illustrations are appealing and support the gentle nature of the story. The book concludes with additional facts about sharks and their egg cases and a "True or False" quiz. No sources are listed. A short, sweet story about discovering one's identity and finding one's place in the world.-Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, ALα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. A short, sweet story about discovering one’s identity and finding one’s place in the world. --School Library Journal Highlights a side to sharks not often found in picture books… --Kirkus Reviews Discovering his true identity allows Shark Baby to become secure in his surroundings. A resource-packed activity guide motivates students and teachers to learn more. --Library Media Connection Ann Downer (Shark Baby) has never lived very far from the ocean. When she was little, her uncle took her to a beach to see horseshoe crabs, and she has been interested in sea creatures ever since. She spent part of her childhood in and around the Pacific Ocean, living first in the Philippine Islands and then in Thailand. Now she lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, not far from the Atlantic Ocean. With her husband and son, she likes to go looking for sea creatures in tide pools in Maine. She once had a chance to go out in a very small boat with some scientists who study whales, and got to listen to the whales coming up for air. She used to be scared of sharks (she still is, a little!) but mostly thinks they are some of the most beautiful and fascinating creatures on Earth. Ann helped edit two books about the ocean for grown-ups: Oceans: Heart of Our Blue Planet and Underwater Eden: Saving the Last Coral Wilderness on Earth. She is the author of five novels for young readers and Elephant Talk a book about the ways elephants communicate. Shennen Bersani is an award-winning illustrator with 2 million copies of her books cherished and read by children, parents, and teachers throughout the world. Her art delivers heartfelt emotion, the wonders of nature and science, and creates a unique joy for learning. Some of Shennen's other illustrated works include A Case of Sense, Animal Partners; Sea Slime: It's Eeuwy, Gooey and Under the Sea; Shark Baby; Home in the Cave; Astro: The Steller Sea Lion; The Glaciers are Melting!, and Once Upon an Elephant, for Arbordale. She is also the author and illustrator of Achoo! Why Pollen Counts. Shennen lives near Boston.