SAVE THE...WHALE SHARKS

An invitation to learn more about the largest living fish and to help in efforts to keep them from becoming extinct.

“They’re the biggest fish in the world, but they eat the smallest things in the sea.” In an appeal aimed largely at fledgling chapter-book readers, Sanchez begins with distinctive basic facts about whale sharks’ feeding habits (though “the size of a school bus,” they eat only plankton and “teeny minnows and sardines”), their need to travel far in search of food, and their ovoviviparous reproduction. She then explains how, between becoming disposable “bycatch” in commercial fishing and being harvested for their own meat, oil, and fins (for soup), their populations have dropped 50% over the past 75 years to the point that they have been designated as endangered. Another major threat, Sanchez notes, is floating plastic…and perhaps the most affecting passage here is her account of the 2019 discovery of a young whale shark that starved to death after a plastic bag clogged its digestive tract. Following this buildup, the author offers 11 helpful activities and measures for eco-activists, including, in a sign that this is not addressed just to younger audiences, a strong suggestion to register and vote for candidates who support environmental protections. In the book’s introduction, Clinton stresses that even small actions can make a real difference when it comes to helping the environment. The speckled giants, mouths agape, pose in a sparse assortment of murky black-and-white photos.

Eloquent and informative.