Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugine Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

Written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Martha Alvarez Miguens

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this with my youngest, Caitlin, aged 4 years, who adores sharks and often hampers to visit the local ocean aquarium. This is the story of Eugine Clark,  born in 1922, at a time when women were steered towards homemaking, she steered into unknown territories and dared to dive deep into an ocean of discovery. This book is not only a fascinating tale about the life of an extraordinary woman but also full of fascinating facts about sharks making it a must read for teachers, parents and children alike. 

The story is an inspiring one for children who can see a clear trajectory from dreaming to working hard and studying to fulfilling a lifelong ambition. Both educational and empowering the writing flows beautifully so that even children adverse to non-fiction can’t help but be drawn into Eugine’s world. 

The illustrations in the book are also wonderful. Both realistic and childlike at the same time, as well as colourful and engaging. They work extremely well alongside the text and I particularly liked the additional pages of back matter and end papers showing many different shark species.  This book is a real gem!