Who Would Win?: Ultimate Small Shark Rumble

Together, read the title of the book and look at the pictures on the cover. Then discuss how you feel about sharks. Do you like them? Are you afraid of them? Are you curious about them? 

Determine how much of the book you will read today. Read to that point without interruption, then go back to the beginning of the book and reread, pausing to ask and discuss the following questions. Follow the same routine for each section of the book you read. Encourage your child to support their answers with details from the text.  

After Round 1, Match 3: What is the Ultimate Small Shark Rumble? Compare sharks and rays: What do they have in common? In what way are fish better swimmers than sharks?

After Round 1, Match 7: How did carpet sharks get their name? Who wins the match between the blacknose shark and the nurse shark, and why? When are sharks camouflaged, or hidden? How does the spinner shark catch its prey? What is unusual about the epaulette shark?

After Round 2, Match 3: How does the balloon shark defend itself? Is the battle between the cookiecutter shark and the spiny dogfish shark a fair fight? How does the bonnethead shark beat the cat shark? Why is it surprising that the frilled shark beats the blacknose shark?

After the Championship Match: Why do sharks often bump before biting? What is the difference between the teeth of the frilled shark and the crocodile shark? Which shark wins the championship, and why?

Discuss which shark in the book you were hoping would win, and why. 

Literacy Tip

The word anthropomorphize (an-thre-pe-mor-fize) means to give a nonhuman creature human qualities. In this book, the author gives sharks human thoughts. Look for examples of this in the book (hint: check out the balloon shark’s thoughts on page 25).