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Connor is a hammerhead shark pup who has thirty-seven hammerhead siblings. All the other shark pups look and act alike except Connor. When his brothers and sisters swim one way, he swims another. When they eat shrimp and crabs, he prefers to munch on tasty sea plants. When the other pups play hide-and-seek, Connor heads off to explore on his own. As an old gray shark remarks, “He’s rather unusual, don’t you think?” Connor’s mom smiles, holds her head high, and declares, “Thank you! Yes, he is. He’s wonderfully, perfectly unusual.” Young Connor learns and adopts this positive response himself, so when others under the sea remark on his “being different,” Connor too holds his little head high, looks straight into their eyes, and exclaims, “Thank you!” The hammerhead pup stays true to his genuine self, enjoying “twirling and whirling” in the seagrass with a new girl shark he befriends.
Thayer’s book is gorgeously illustrated and contains an enticing story, interesting characters, and an all-important message for young readers that being different is not only okay and natural but also something to be celebrated. A story on the issue of bullying and how to deal positively and creatively with this common childhood concern, this picture book entertains young readers while also offering something unique: advice in the endnotes about seeking help for bullying, including hotline numbers to call, as well as guiding any child to talk to a trusted adult (parent, teacher, school counselor) who can help. This is significant. Also of note is a section at the book’s end encouraging young readers to “Discover Great Hammerhead Sharks.” This provides fascinating, age-appropriate facts about great hammerhead sharks being an endangered species and illuminating information on their predation, diet, and more. Thayer’s book is both fun and highly informative.
Thayer's To the Ends of the Earth was a 2020 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review