Mother of Sharks

by Melissa Cristina Márquez, Devin Elle Kurtz (Illustrator)

Overview

Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree and globally renowned shark scientist Melissa Cristina Márquez teams up with award-winning illustrator Devin Elle Kurtz to create an informative, powerful picture book. With lyrical writing and gorgeous art, this moving story explores Melissa’s personal journey from inquisitive ocean-loving child in Puerto Rico to becoming the Mother of Sharks.

As the sun sets over another gorgeous day at la Playita Del Condado in Puerto Rico, Meli doesn't want to go home. She loves the ocean more than anything, and with only five minutes left at the beach, she knows exactly where her last stop should be: the tidal pools. They are small universes of their own teeming with critters and creatures of the ocean. While looking into the pools, she meets a crab, Jaiba, who takes her on a dreamlike underwater adventure, teaches her about the importance of shark conservation, and reveals Meli's ultimate destiny: to become the Mother of Sharks.

Blending the autobiographical with the fantastical, Melissa Cristina Márquez shares her incredible story not only to dispel myths about these misunderstood creatures but also to pave the way for Latinas in STEM. Paired with Devin Elle Kurtz's vibrant, emotive illustrations, this picture book is an irresistible journey through the wonders of the ocean and, above all, a rallying cry for marine conservation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593523582
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/30/2023
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	67,424
Product dimensions:	10.44(w) x 10.38(h) x 0.42(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Melissa Cristina Márquez (she/her) is a fiercely proud Hispanic marine biologist, wildlife educator, professional speaker, and presenter. She has given two TEDx talk on sharks and female scientists, and her work has been highlighted in NPR, Allure, Disney+, BBC, National Geographic, Good Morning America, and more. In 2021, Melissa was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30: Science list and the InStyle “50 Badass Women” list. Melissa holds a BA in Marine Ecology and Conservation from New College of Florida and an MSc in Marine Biology from Victoria University. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico, Melissa aims to bring attention to the importance of diversity and inclusion with her writing.

Devin Elle Kurtz (she/her) lives in San Diego, California, with her dog, Kira, and her thirty-three houseplants. She's been painting in Photoshop since the age of two when her artist mom first offered her a tablet pen. This is her debut picture book as an illustrator! Visit her online at devinellekurtz.com

Editorial Reviews

04/17/2023

A Latinx child takes a step toward a STEM career as a shark scientist in this empowering read from marine biologist Márquez (the Wild Survival series). After a day spent playing at Puerto Rico’s Playita Del Condado, Meli begs her mami for just five more minutes, during which a tidal-pool encounter with talking hermit crab Jaiba results in an undersea adventure. Crabs and sea stars scuttle “along ancient sandy highways” around a vibrant coral reef, but all is not right: rising temperatures caused by climate change have bleached parts of the reef, and a mako shark is caught in a net nearby. Meli, portrayed with brown skin, wants to learn more about sharks, but indicates that she’s never seen a shark scientist who looks like her. Traversing space and time, Jaiba takes Meli to various locations that would help her move into the field, including to see the “Mother of Sharks,” an accomplished shark scientist who, it is soon revealed, is Meli herself. Artist Kurtz (Windows to Worlds, for adults) dapples the underwater landscape with plentiful light, while Márquez combines magical and real-world components in this engaging read that champions marine conservation efforts and the power of representation. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Alexandra Weiss, Azantian Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Seth Fishman, Gernert Co. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Readers will soak up the vividly illustrated underwater scenes alongside the important message to follow their passions… children from marginalized backgrounds will be especially heartened by Márquez’s encouraging tale… A magical story for budding scientists.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

06/30/2023

Gr 2–4—A fantastical fictionalized account of the childhood of Melissa Cristina Marquez in Puerto Rico. Melissa has a few minutes left to play outdoors in the ocean and swims out to a tide pool where she meets a hermit crab, who becomes her guide in the study and exploration of sharks. The beautiful painterly artwork shows the glory of aquatic life and imbues the joy in learning and then sharing the secrets of the ocean depths. The story is told from the first person point-of-view of Melissa as a child, talking to a hermit crab who first appears in her dream life, building up towards her present life as a marine biologist. However, the story uses the talking hermit crab to guide her through layers of dreams that shift perspectives continually: Melissa is first seen staying too long in a tide pool, then dreaming about sharks in bed, then going to the library to study where she meets her future self, then ending back in the tide pool. The story is told with short phrases in Spanish, which is clearly understood via context cues. The book includes a letter from the author, a glossary, list of additional resources, and list of translated text. VERDICT Important purchase for its representation of Latinx/Hispanics in the hard sciences; however, the structure and the layered framework of the story makes it confusing and problematic as a read-aloud.—Vi Ha

School Library Journal

2023-03-14
A Latine ocean enthusiast gets the surprise of a lifetime in this tale from Márquez, a Puerto Rican shark scientist committed to making STEM fields more inclusive.

As the sun sets on the beautiful Playita del Condado, Puerto Rico, Meli promises her mami that she’ll be ready to leave in just five minutes. She’s shocked when a hermit crab suddenly speaks to her. As Meli and her new friend, Jaiba, travel underwater and witness the effects of humans’ damaging impacts on the ecosystem, her interest in sharks and ocean conservation is amplified. Meli, who is brown-skinned with curly brown hair, has many questions, but when Jaiba suggests she become a scientist, she quietly muses that she hasn’t seen any who look like her. Then she and Jaiba find themselves in the audience of a lecture being delivered by a real-life scientist who resembles her. Meli observes the scientist, referred to as the Mother of Sharks, conducting research—and soon realizes that she and the scientist are one and the same. In a flash, she’s back on the beach and her five minutes are up, but her passion for science has been ignited. Readers will soak up the vividly illustrated underwater scenes alongside the important message to follow their passions; children from marginalized backgrounds will be especially heartened by Márquez’s encouraging tale. Meli and Jaiba speak English, though there’s some unitalicized Spanish throughout. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A magical story for budding scientists. (author’s note, glossary, resources, Spanish translations) (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews