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This third picture book in the Clark the Shark series is about girls--sAnna Angelfish, to be precise. Clark has a crush on her (he REALLY likes her), but he’s too nervous to tell her, and he wants to get her something special for her birthday.
Unfortunately, his shark-errific ideas don’t work. She is not impressed when he competes in the swim race. She doesn’t notice when he saves her school bus from a blue whale, and the seaweed message he leaves for her on her locker turns into big mess. When Clark’s friend Joey tells him, “Bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes the best things--like me--come in small packages,” he finds a way to put a smile on her face.
Sound effects in this story (woosha-washa, woosha-whacka, woosha-walla) add humor to the text. Clark’s underwater life involves school, friends, and learning about oneself, all things children experience in their lives. Several of the acrylic illustrations incorporate words such as bus, Theodore Roosterfish Elementary, and Eddie Lost Catfish. These give the reader more to read and ask about.
I did think it was rude of Clark to say “No way” and “Eew” when he was asked if he liked Letty Lungfish and Mrs. Inkydink, but his reaction could be discussed when reading the story.
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Clark the Shark Takes Heart