The Shark God - Hardcover

Martin, Rafe

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590395009 ISBN 13: 9780590395007

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001

Synopsis

Rafe Martin and David Shannon reunite in this folktale interpretation of a dramatic flood myth set amidst the unmatched beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.

In a country whose ruler is cruel and whose people are hardened, two children remain warm-hearted and exuberant. One day after freeing a shark trapped in the shallows, the children are so excited that they touch the King's forbidden drum. They are thrown into prison, and no one will listen to their parents' pleas for mercy. So, at great risk, they go to the Shark God himself, and he takes retribution, causing a great flood that leaves only the good family behind, and clears the way for a better, kinder future.

About this title

About the Author

RAFE MARTIN is the bestselling author of several acclaimed picture books, including The Rough-Face Girl and Will's Mammoth. When not touring the country as a storyteller, he lives in Rochester, New York.

Reviews

Gr 1-4-Combining threads from a Hawaiian legend and his own creative imagination, Martin has woven a tale of two kindhearted children who aid a shark in distress and, later, are condemned to die after running afoul of their inflexible king. Shannon's vigorous illustrations provide a dramatic backdrop for this well-told tale of cruelty and compassion as the merciless king faces the implacable justice of the Shark God. The author provides a source note explaining his reasons for the changes in this retelling and mentioning the illustrator's research on Oahu. From the vivid cover depicting the Shark God assuming a gigantic human form to the laughing sound of the royal drum as the liberated family sails off to a new home, this is a winning package.

Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Martin and Shannon (who paired up for The Rough-Face Girl) set an old Hawaiian tale about a shark who saves a family against a backdrop of images of ancient Polynesia. A brother and sister free a shark caught in a net and beat the news of their success out on the king's drum, a violation punishable by death. Answering their parents' pleas for justice, the powerful Shark God destroys the island kingdom with an immense tidal wave, delivering the children and their parents to a new home across the sea. Shannon's sun-drenched tropical landscapes sometimes recall Gauguin's, but his powerful Hawaiian figures, far from standing silently in their tranquil paradise, look ready to burst forth from the spreads. Martin's suitably myth-like prose gives the story appropriate grandeur (" `Prepare a canoe with all you might need for a journey,' said the Shark God. `Bring offerings to the temple. Do not fear. I will send a sign' "). Still more remarkable is the attention the book pays to the feathered garments, beautifully woven textiles and elaborate tattoos of old Hawaii. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

*Starred Review* Ages 4-8. The winning partnership that created The Rough-Face Girl (1992) reunites with this dramatic, beautifully illustrated adaptation of an ancient Hawaiian legend. After rescuing a shark near their tropical island--no thanks to their hard-hearted neighbors--a jubilant sister and brother can't resist playing the king's drum--a strictly taboo act, punishable by death. The pitiless king is unrelenting in his sentence, and the children's parents seek solace from the wise but wrathful Shark God, who destroys the island's population with a flood reminiscent of Noah's story, saving only the children and their parents and sending them off to a new life on another island with a kinder king. In text and images, the story creates a potent sense of atmosphere, power, and suspense. Children will feel the roaring Shark God's murky lair, see his "strong, sharp, white teeth," and sense his ferocious omnipotence, impressively portrayed in vibrant paintings reminiscent of Gaugin and perfectly composed for large groups. In a concluding note, the author describes how he toned down the original for a young audience. Even with his alterations, this powerful tale will rivet children ready for a little terror and some heavy but well-handled morality. Great cover, too. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590395009
• ISBN 13: 9780590395007
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Shannon David
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32