Shark Party

March 15, 2023
When sharks gather for a party, two finny princesses put on the "sharkle." Actually, extroverted mako shark Mack has to drag his reluctant larger friend, krill-eating whale shark Kitana, to the big bash, as crowds make her nervous. But the roles switch when delivering a tardy invitation to a certain deep-sea shark means diving into strange, dark waters: "We're princesses," she reminds her timorous bestie with a wink, "and we love adventure!" Down they go, to discover and exclaim over the sea bottom's bioluminescent residents and meet Adrina, a friendly but solitary ninja lanternshark who turns out to be even less of a party animal than Kitana. Keeping things buoyant, Chanani tucks jokes about peeing in the ocean into this sequel to Shark Princess (2022) along with meaningful exchanges about different preferences when it comes to being alone or with others. She also positively packs many of her neatly drawn and colored panels and full-page scenes with different species of sharks (collectively called a shiver, she notes in a closing set of shark facts and activities), all named and accurately depicted. Glides along on a warm current of affirmation that princesses, despite their differences, are united in a love of adventure. (Graphic fiction. 7-9)

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