I'm getting a shark!

A humorous take on animal conservation that provides information. A child with a passion for sharks shouts to the whole neighborhood, "HEY, EVERYBODY, I'M GETTING A SHARK!" The emphatic text is set in a vibrant speech bubble befitting the cartoon art. The kid tells Ralphie the dog about overhearing Mom tell Dad about the shark, and the anthropomorphized pet rattles off a series of facts about sharks to convince the kid that getting a shark is a bad idea. The narrator meets Ralphie's objections with a string of amusingly illustrated fanciful ideas (imagining opening a dogfish grooming salon for that species of shark, for example). It's a big disappointment when Mom and Dad present "an adoption certificate for a real shark that is swimming in the ocean right now." Their explanation that this real shark is "happy and healthy [a]nd you're helping it stay that way" is accompanied by a book about sharks. The kid begins spouting off shark facts, which irks Ralphie to humorous effect--hadn't Ralphie been saying exactly that? The narrator is ultimately pleased with the gift, calling out to the neighborhood, "HEY, EVERYBODY, I'M SAVING A SHARK!" While a closing page depicts Ralphie saying "there are special organizations that let you help animals in need," frustratingly, there is no brief list nor any guidance to readers who would like to find them. The cheery cartoon art depicts the narrator and family with pale skin and brown hair; their neighborhood is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18.1% of actual size.) Good to get for animal lovers. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.