Swim around the world with Shark as he explores ocean forests and coastal reefs, meeting hammerheads and great whites, stingrays and dolphins, in a search for the place he calls home.
With rich language and enchanting art, Swim, Shark, Swim!, written by Dom Conlon and illustrated by Anastasia Izlesou, features fascinating facts that will inspire a love of science and the natural world in young readers.
Swim, Shark, Swim! is a beautifully illustrated picture book and poetic adventure that explores the world’s oceans. Recommended for readers aged 5+, this book covers key environmental themes like marine ecosystems, biodiversity and conservation in an informatively digestible way. It prompts children to think about how their own actions and activities might impact our oceans, while also teaching them about the many different animals and marine environments.
Conlon is a double Carnegie-nominated poet and author whose work is guided by nature and the stars. He’s written poetry and picture books, fact and fiction – sometimes all in the same book. Conlon hopes to inspire everyone to read and write poetry. Shark, Swim, Shark! does exactly that. Using forms of poetic licence, giving the blacktip reef shark emotions, a name and a storyline, as well as the repetition of keywords, this picture book is the perfect introduction to storytelling and poetry for young readers and budding poets.
Izlesou is a multidisciplinary illustrator and designer from the UK. Using a mix of digital and traditional media, she creates vibrant works full of bold natural elements. Her signature style is on full display in Swim, Shark, Swim!, showcasing everything from the sunset’s colours below the surface of the water to the green forests of kelp at the depth of the ocean. Izlesou’s inspirations range from natural sciences, literature and folklore to everyday items and objects of kitsch – inspirations we see embedded in Swim, Shark, Swim!
From the depths of the ocean to the water’s surface, there’s much to learn and explore in Swim, Shark, Swim! It would make a fantastic bedtime read, and I can also see this being a great addition to classrooms and libraries. Teachers and librarians, keep an eye out for some teacher’s notes on our website, too.
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