Big Shark, Little Shark Go to School

Membrino's sequel to the popular Big Shark, Little Shark keeps the winning formula: two opposite characters, simple contrasting behavior, and just enough suspense to carry an early reader to the end. Little Shark is at the bus stop bright and early on the first day of school; Big Shark is mysteriously absent. The big-type, rhyming, picture-clue format is a textbook Step 1 reader, well calibrated for children just beginning to decode independently. The school-readiness theme makes it particularly useful in late summer and fall. The honest caveat is that the plot resolves quickly and simply, and readers unfamiliar with the original book may feel they're stepping into the middle of something. As a beginning reader for a child starting kindergarten, it's a genuinely fun, confidence-building choice.