SHARK-MAD STANLEY

Fact-infested waters swirl beneath a shark-loving child's train of reasoning in this chaotic, cartoony import. Seeing many similarities between sharks and his goldfish Dennis, Stanley mulls over the feasibility of having a shark for a pet. Obstacles loom, though: a shark can't be carried home in a little baggie; it would need a houseful of seawater; it would also need a pack of toothy friends for company. The author pastes bits of shark lore and information hither and yon through his goofball, graphic-style illustrations, exaggerating Stanley's smallness, the shark's hugeness—and Dennis's expression of relief when the lad finally discards the whole idea. This may not have the fake sharkskin cover or spectacular pictures of Mary M. Cerullo's The Truth About Great White Sharks (not reviewed), but it does come packaged with an easy-to-use CD-ROM that expands Stanley's room into an interactive gallery of games, simple animations, and shark lore. (Picture book with gimmick. 6-8)