A cute fact-filled book about sharks! The images are just lovely. Sometimes the text can be a bit hard to read, though.

Considering that the author is a marine biologist, I expected the book to be more realistic. I thought the book would teach us about ocean animals, and it does, but it also has wrong information. Sharks are not our friends, and they are definitely not friends with crabs. I looked it up and those types of sharks eat crabs. Other then having wrong information in a book meant to teach children about the ocean, its a cute book. My daughter enjoys it. ( )

Sharks Are Our Friends! is the sixth book in the Somewhere Between the Land and the Sea series written by Ian Humpheryes, a marine biologist. The picture book series for ages 3-8 introduces beginning readers to the sea creatures that live in rockpools, the shallow pools that form on the shore when seawater gets trapped when the tide recedes.

Clear Shrimp, Little Green Crab and Red Starfish are afraid of a Dogfish shark until they realize that it can protect them by scaring away predators. Later that day, two young girls walking along the beach and exploring the rockpools are frightened when they see the Dogfish shark. Their mother tells them that not all sharks are scary and reassures them that the Dogfish shark will not harm them. The Dogfish shark swims out with the tide back to the sea.

The next morning, Little Green Crab is frightened when a Red Crab waves his claws toward him. Little Green Crab leaves the rockpool and hides under a rock. Clear Shrimp is worried about him and talks to Blue Lobster who discovers that Red Crab was trying to use sign language. Blue Lobster tells Little Green Crab that there is no reason to be afraid of Red Crab and they become good friends.

At the end of the book the author talks about how important it is to protect sharks. The author also encourages children to talk to someone if they are feeling sad or scared. The author points out that everyone is different and learning more about people might be a good way to make friends.

The title of the book seems a little misleading since only one of the two stories talks about the Dogfish shark. There is no mention in the title of the Red Crab which is featured in the second story. The book would have been easier to read if the text bubbles had been deleted and the information simply included in the main narrative. The book is so beautifully illustrated that fewer words may have been needed. ( )

This ebook has cute and colorful pictures - the illustrations are truly the best aspect of the book. The story itself seems convoluted, and could easily be two different children’s stories. There is unnecessary complexity with little poems about each animal’s fears. However, the poems in the thought bubbles flow better than the story. This is not a book I would read aloud repeatedly, and despite my girls loving books about all animals, it’s not one they are asking to have read again. Lastly, changes in font were distracting for a new reader who was attempting to read it.

I received a free copy of this ebook as part of the Library Thing early reviewers program in exchange for my honest review. ( )