Shark Lady

I am inspired by people who break barriers to succeed. Ichthyologist (fish biologist) Eugenie Clark is such a person. She became a deep-sea diver at a time when not many women were in the water actively doing ocean research. All ocean creatures interested her, but her specialty was sharks! During her 92-year lifespan, she made many dives both in submersible vehicles and with SCUBA.

Because of her work, she became known as the “Shark Lady.” Once, while diving, she rode on the back of a 50-foot whale shark. I have only seen sharks in large aquariums, such as the Monterey… show more.

I love this book because it features one of my favorite kinds of nonfiction children’s books–female scientists who make important contributions to understanding and enlightening people about little-known animals.

Eugenie loved sharks from childhood. Her curiosity about them made her face any challenges, and with courage and passion, she pursued her dream of studying sharks and eventually, fearlessly swimming with them! In her early years, people didn’t encourage girls to be scientists, and it was commonly thought that sharks were evil and dumb. She proved them wrong on all counts. This book inspires girls–and boys–to pursue their passion with perseverance… show more.

Written by an author who also happens to be a zoologist, Eugenie Clark’s life story shows incredible devotion to teaching and learning about her beloved sharks and overcoming ridiculous gender obstacles of the time. A true hero!

Bonus: more weird and awesome shark facts can be discovered in the back.

Who doesn’t love a story about a woman brave enough to swim with sharks?

In a time when women weren’t supposed to be scientists, Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks. She devoted her life to learning about them and taught the world that sharks aren’t bad and have a special place in our world.

As the author of the Mermaid Tales series, I have studied about many different ocean creatures and love quizzing kids about them. One of my questions: Are sharks bad is almost always answered with a yes. I tell students the truth, just like Eugenie Clark… show more.

A breezy, beautiful book about two misunderstood species – sharks and women scientists.

Keating’s text follows Dr. Clark from childhood until her death in 2015. It chronicles Clark’s contributions to marine biology, not least among which is the world’s first study of sleeping sharks (I learned all kinds of other things too). Miguéns’ rich artwork gives the book a magical realist flavour, as she interprets how sharks inhabit Clarks’ world as a child.

Despite the good work of scientists like Clark, sharks are still seen as creatures to fear, and this is a good book with which to chomp away… show more.

Sharks are fascinating! I’m sure most kids would be curious to find out who and what a ‘shark lady’ is. This engaging story paves the way for children to explore the life of Eugenie Clark, a scientist determined to dismiss the view that sharks are ugly and scary. I love picture book biographies because they are a combination of just the right words and mesmerizing illustrations. I also love biographies about women who have refused to conform, and who simply craved opportunities to explore any pathway. When Eugenie felt pressured not to study science, she didn’t listen. Bravo! Everyone’s voice… show more.

I love this book as it highlights the story of the groundbreaking Japanese-American woman scientist who broke barriers and made many discoveries about sharks that kids learn as facts today. Eugenie’s story is one of a child fascinated by ocean wildlife who follows her dreams to become a scientist, deep-sea diver, and discoverer. It’s also the story of a misunderstood wild animal that needs some “rebranding”—and this book does the trick!

“To others, sharks were ugly and scary. But Eugenie knew they were beautiful. As she glided through the cool water, she wished everyone could see sharks through her eyes.” - Shark Lady

I’m one of those ‘others’, regarding sharks as ugly and scary. But when I read Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist, I could see through young Eugenie’s eyes and appreciate her love for the magnificent creatures that deserve our respect. While there are wonderful feminist and STEM aspects to this book, what I love most about this picture-book… show more.

For those who love the ocean as much as I do, Shark Lady is a lovely read-aloud for the little ones with the same fascination for the ocean and its most feared member: the shark. The bold illustrations with plenty of ocean scenes makes it one of my favorites but the story of a young woman who was fearless enough to swim with the sharks and make new discoveries about them is also full of information for the adults doing the reading.

Eugenie Clark didn’t agree with people who thought sharks were ugly and dangerous. She thought they were beautiful creatures, worth studying and protecting. I don’t know if I myself could swim with sharks without feeling a little bit scared, but I do believe that most sharks have no interest in attacking humans, and I also believe that it is important for scientists to study every type of organism, from fungi to spiders to sharks. I also want kids to know that scientists can work underwater, like Eugenie did!