FINDING A FRIEND

A great white shark tries to find a new friend in this debut science-centered picture book.

Deep Blue, a Carcharodon carcharias, doesn’t understand why everyone swims away from her. Using a clamshell computer for research and armed with advice from her trusty sea star companion, Cushy, Deep Blue determines she’ll spend the day making a new friend. But the fur seals and smaller sharks flee before she can join their games. When Cushy advises her to approach her next potential friends slowly, two brave penguins stick around to get to know Deep Blue, giving the shark, the sea star, and their new pals a chance to share science facts about their lives in and near the water. As Cushy and Deep Blue depart, the two warmly acknowledge that they are best friends. Deep Blue’s efforts may remind readers of the overly enthusiastic protagonist of Peter Brown’s You Will Be My Friend! (2011), while Cushy’s regular interjections of scientific names for different species and the exchange of facts are reminiscent of The Magic School Bus TV series. Swain presents the entertaining and informative story primarily through dialogue (shown in Kadysha’s bright digital illustrations as word balloons with a different color for each speaker), inviting readers to become immersed in the conversations. While all the animals retain some realistic features, Deep Blue and Cushy are the most anthropomorphized, particularly the shark’s expressively curled nose and purple headband.

Animal lovers will enjoy the facts in this whimsical tale about an inseparable duo.