Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger

Gr 1-3–Sharks are amazing creatures with terrible reputations, and this semi-biography of Cristina Zenato, a self-proclaimed ocean ranger who has been fascinated by sharks since her childhood, seeks to undo their abysmal PR. It begins with wholesome scenes of children playing in nature, detailing Zenato’s split youth between life exploring the wilds of Zaire and summers off the coasts of Italy. There’s a throughline about her love for the ocean and wish to dig deeper. As she grows and settles in the Bahamas, Zenato learns to scuba dive and gets to experience her favorite ocean creatures—sharks—up close. She notices how many are festooned with fishhooks. Her new mission? Help dehook these glorious creatures. The book comes alive during those scuba scenes. Nothing is as vibrant as the sections underwater. There are heavy themes of protecting all creatures, even the ones who may not seem to need it. The back matter goes into detail about how sharks help the ecosystem, strengthening the message of preserving the Earth for everyone. Ultimately, this is neither an expansive biography nor in-depth science offering, but may be a gateway to further studies.