WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : Sharks in Kansas by Melissa Stewart & Becca Stadlander
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sharks in Kansas? Yes, it's true! Take a fascinating journey back 85 million years to a time when Kansas was submerged under a vast ocean teeming with incredible prehistoric sharks.
Sharks in Kansas? Seems impossible, right? After all, Kansas is smack dab in the middle of the United States—more than 1,000 miles from the closest ocean. But the world hasn’t always looked the way it does today.
Once upon a time, 85 million years ago, the middle of America was submerged in water--and incredible creatures roamed the sea. On a typical afternoon, a small herd of Claosaurus munches on plants along the shoreline. Above them, a Pteranodon glides across the sky in search of fish... when, suddenly, a Squalicorax grabs a young dinosaur with its bone-crunching bite. Chomp!
From the flightless bird Hesperonis to the mighty Tylosaurus, here is a fascinating look at many kids' favorite creatures and the mysteries of an ancient ocean.
“A solid, well-illustrated introduction to prehistoric North America.” —Kirkus Reviews
“It’s a smartly structured deep dive that brings a long-gone water body vividly into the modern age.” —Publishers Weekly
“An inviting plunge into the deep past.” —Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR and ILLUSTRATOR
Melissa Stewart is a leading voice in children's nonfiction, with more than 200 science books to her name. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and garnered such awards as the Sibert Honor, two Green Earth Book Awards, and four ALA Notables. Her best-known titles include Whale Fall, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey, Tree Hole Homes, illustrated by Amy Hevron, and Feathers: Not Just for Flying, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. After earning a bachelor's degree in biology from Union College and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children's book editor for nine years before becoming a full-time writer. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She lives in Massachusetts. For more information, including teacher resources, videos, and more, visit melissa-stewart.com.
Becca Stadtlander is an illustrator and fine artist. In 2019, she won the Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration for Made by Hand: A Crafts Sampler. Picture books she has illustrated include Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards, Sleep Tight, Farm, and On Wings of Words, which received four starred reviews. Her work is also featured in adult books, editorial publications, stationery, home decor products, and book covers.
REVIEW
Kansas, a state in the heart of the continental United States is not the sort of place one expects to see an ocean. But back about 85 million years the land we know today as the United States was divided by the Western Interior Seaway. This book presents to young readers the reasons the seaway came into being and what led to its disappearance. The illustrations include a glimpse into the animal life whose fossils have been found in the area. Maps show readers where the described conditions existed and how they changed over time. In addition to the main body of text, sidebars include specific information about the animals described in the text and shown in the illustrations. Each sidebar includes the name, pronunciation, class, group, size, weight, prey, and predators for the highlighted species. The paintings show the animals in action next to other animals that they would have interacted with during their lifetimes. The main text works well as a read aloud while the sidebars provide more information for those hungry to learn more about the remarkable animals. The book makes an excellent resource as well as a fascinating story for reading aloud with a class. A fabulous presentation of information that is well suited to its audience. The gorgeous paintings combined with Stewart's very readable text (you would want to practice reading those creature names--thank goodness for the pronunciation guide!) make for a great book for teachers and students. Highly recommended.
SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS
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