Shark-Mad Stanley Grouth (Strange Relations) [Hardcover]

Griff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1900 | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Strange Relations

Stanley, who loves sharks and knows all about them, fantasizes about having one for a pet and considers all the things he would need to feed and take care of it.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

There isn't a creature in the world Stanley doesn't adore. Pigeons, snakes, penguins, worms, elephants, you name it. But the animals Stanley goes really mad over are... SHARKS! Even though he's never met one, he knows a lot about them from his good friend, Dennis, who also happens to be Stanley's pet goldfish. In many ways, goldfish are a lot like sharks. They both have fins and gills, eat their meals underwater--why, they're even related! ("Though they are distant relatives and rarely keep in touch.") Stanley figures if he can look after a goldfish, he can probably look after a shark. Or can he?

Griff (a.k.a. Andrew Griffin) has created a delightfully humorous story, with plenty of honest-to-goodness shark facts painlessly thrown in for good measure. Big-headed, sparsely coifed Stanley and his glum pal Dennis (you'd be glum too, if you were going to have to share your home with a massive cannibalistic relative) are a terrifically appealing pair. Griff's clever computer-generated illustrations are full of verve and personality, with witty, often subtle details. The small print on the shark food packaging reads: "No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. People may accidentally be included in this product. Store in a damp environment. Not suitable for vegetarians." This picture book, however, is suitable for vegetarians, carnivores, and any other dry-land critters. A simple, interactive CD-ROM is included, with games, facts, screen saver, and much more. (Ages 4 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Striking an uneasy balance of jokes and science, this quirky volume introduces Stanley, a large-headed cartoon character who loves critters of all kindsD"He even loves SHARKS!" Noting that the boy "learns a lot" about sharks from Dennis, his pet goldfish, British author Griff interjects some cursory information on the physical features, behavior and varieties of sharks on bulletin board-like spreads, while additional spreads feature stylized artwork with nonsensical fantasies of what it would entail for Stanley to have a shark as a pet. The boy compares the needs of sharks to those of goldfish: one illustration shows Stanley taking Dennis on the bus in a water-filled baggie; the next shows a crane lifting a shark to transport it home. An accompanying CD-ROM, tucked into the front cover, offers a screen saver featuring Dennis swimming around in his bowl (but, curiously, no shark), a pair of passable interactive games and facts about sharks that duplicate the text of the book. The disc, too, comes up short: its gateway imageDa silhouette of Stanley's houseDgives kids the option of entering only one of the four rooms; a click on the other spaces brings up the statement that these will be "available with future titles." Given the package's disappointments, readers may not stick around to sample subsequent releases featuring Stanley. Though Griff infuses his pictures and text with doses of humor, he includes too little substance and too much filler to satisfy children interested in learning about sharks. Ages 4-7. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (January 1, 1900)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786805943
• ISBN-13: 978-0786805945
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,464,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharks are great, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Shark-Mad Stanley Grouth (Strange Relations) (Hardcover)

This was in our first order from Amazon and because my son loves sharks it seemed like a good choice and it was. This book had small little facts with humor and a great story. My son has often asked if he could have a pet shark and this story was about a little boy who wondered the same thing. In the end he learns the truth about owning one and how he gets there is great. This is one of those rare little boy books that apeals to their sense of danger and need for anything that grosses out or horrifies their little sister. My son's favorite part was when the shark was in Stanley's house and then his friends were going to have to join him too. I would recomend this book it is fun and your kids would enjoy it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT SHARK, GREAT BOOK, August 2, 2000

By 

"stardi" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shark-Mad Stanley Grouth (Strange Relations) (Hardcover)

I've read this book on 07/30/2000 in Taipei Municipal Library and the kids loved it so much. I also produced some printouts of Stanley's room from the CD-ROM so the kinds can play finding the difference of two alike pictures. This is how: when you click on some object of Stanley's room, the object would change in some way. You can use alt-PrintScreen to capture the screen image and paste it on some graphic software. I think this is not only an entertaining book as Carlos Gonzalez said, but the book is also full of interesting knowledge of sharks.

1.0 out of 5 stars Game missing on the CD-ROM, August 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Shark-Mad Stanley Grouth (Strange Relations) (Hardcover)

My son (4 1/2) LOVES Stanley and loved Tiger Time and the Gorilla book. He waited anxiously for Shark-Mad Stanley when we ordered it only to be disappointed because the game on the CD-ROM does not activate. On the back cover of the book, it states to click on the fish tank to launch the game but we have clicked to to avail. We even returned the book for a new one which had had the same result. I can't believe no one would test this software before it shipped or notice it for 2 YEARS!!