Review by Booklist Review
Newman profiles diver, conservationist, and shark advocate Cristina Zenato in this picture-book biography. Italian by birth and raised mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire), Zenato moved to the Bahamas after university, became an expert diver, and indulged her life-long fascination with sharks. Through repeated dives and observations, she gained the animals' trust and now regularly removes fishing hooks from the sharks she encounters, relieving their suffering. Newman's writing is lyrical, with chosen line breaks allowing her to emphasize important parts of her narrative. "Then one day, Foggy Eye swam up to Cristina. / Thrashing! / Rolling! / Diving! / What would ease her pain?" Hall's digital cartoon art favors oceanic blues and greens that contrast nicely with gray sharks and brightly colored swimwear. Full-bleed art is interspersed with spreads of smaller panels, creating an attractive layout. Appended with generous back matter (which clarifies that Zenato is not a government-employed underwater ranger but, rather, an independent conservationist), this makes a good contrast to the still-prevalent narratives casting sharks as villains.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--Sharks are amazing creatures with terrible reputations, and this semi-biography of Cristina Zenato, a self-proclaimed ocean ranger who has been fascinated by sharks since her childhood, seeks to undo their abysmal PR. It begins with wholesome scenes of children playing in nature, detailing Zenato's split youth between life exploring the wilds of Zaire and summers off the coasts of Italy. There's a throughline about her love for the ocean and wish to dig deeper. As she grows and settles in the Bahamas, Zenato learns to scuba dive and gets to experience her favorite ocean creatures--sharks--up close. She notices how many are festooned with fishhooks. Her new mission? Help dehook these glorious creatures. The book comes alive during those scuba scenes. Nothing is as vibrant as the sections underwater. There are heavy themes of protecting all creatures, even the ones who may not seem to need it. The back matter goes into detail about how sharks help the ecosystem, strengthening the message of preserving the Earth for everyone. Ultimately, this is neither an expansive biography nor in-depth science offering, but may be a gateway to further studies. VERDICT This is good at rehabilitating sharks' negative public image, but a little light on overall content. Easily digestible for lower elementary students.--Cat McCarrey
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Meet a shark whisperer! The book opens with a scene of a shark being hooked by fishermen. "What will ease her pain?" asks an unseen narrator. Perhapswho is the better question, for this is the story of a woman who did just that. Cristina Zenato grew up in what was then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) but summered by the sea in Italy, where she was born. She loved snorkeling and dreamed of one day protecting the ocean she adored. As an adult, she moved to the Bahamas, where she honed her diving skills and got her first thrilling glimpse of sharks. Wearing a protective suit, Cristina began attracting large sharks with treats. Eventually one swam into her lap as she sat on the seafloor. Another, with a fishing hook in its fin, came to her for help. Soon she had amassed a large collection of hooks she'd removed. She used them in her campaign--powerful visual reminders of the dangers sharks face. Through Newman's sparkling, alliterative verse, a portrait of Cristina emerges--a dreamy wonderer who felt out of place growing up yet found a sense of belonging beneath the waves. Hall's delightful cartoon illustrations avoid anthropomorphism as they depict a more vulnerable side of sharks. Above all, readers will emerge with a strong grasp of sharks' crucial role in ecosystems. A conservation tale that's sure to hook readers. (more about sharks and about Cristina Zenato, how to help sharks, note from Cristina, source notes, more shark books)(Informational picture book. 5-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
