Shark vs. Train

by Chris Barton, Tom Lichtenheld, Bryan Kennedy

Overview

Shark VS. Train! WHO WILL WIN?!

If you think Superman vs. Batman would be an exciting matchup, wait until you see Shark vs. Train. In this hilarious and wacky picture book, Shark and Train egg each other on for one competition after another, including burping, bowling, Ping Pong, piano playing, pie eating, and many more! Who do YOU think will win, Shark or Train?

"This is a genius concept." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lichtenheld's snarling shark and grimacing train are definitely ready for a fight, and his scenarios gleefully play up the absurdity. The combatants' expressions are priceless when they lose. A glum train in smoky dejection, or a bewildered, crestfallen shark? It's hard to choose; both are winners." -- Kirkus, starred review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316212885
Publisher:	LITTLE BROWN BKS YOUNG READERS
Publication date:	12/17/2011
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	NOOK Book
Sales rank:	1,137,436
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Chris Barton lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and two young sons, who inspired Shark VS. Train while bantering with Daddy.

Tom Lichtenheld is the illustrator of What Are You So Grumpy About?, What's with This Room? and the New York Times bestseller Duck! Rabbit! He is a creative director at an advertising firm, and lives in Illinois with his wife.

Read an Excerpt

Shark vs. Train

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By Barton, Chris

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Copyright © 2010 Barton, Chris
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780316007627

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Who will win?

Well, that depends on if they’re…

in the ocean…

or on railroad tracks.

If they’re on a seesaw…

or in hot-air

balloons.

Roasting

marshmallows…

eating pies…

or having a

burping contest.

It depends on whether

they’re bowling…

shooting baskets…

or going off

the high-dive.

Running lemonade stands…

trick-or-treating…

or giving rides at a carnival.

It can depend on who

gets to pick first…

who names

the game…

and who deals

the cards.

But who wins

if they’re…

playing hide-and-seek…

or trying not

to get shushed?

Performing in a piano recital…

or playing Extreme

Zombie-Squirrel Motocross?

Exploring distant galaxies…

or sword fighting

on a tightrope…

or…

End of the line.

Continues...

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Excerpted from Shark vs. Train by Barton, Chris Copyright © 2010 by Barton, Chris. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

New York Times Bestseller
Parent's Choice Silver Honor
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

*"This inspired pairing, executed with ingenuity and packed with action and humor, is a sure winner."—School Library Journal (starred review)

*"Lichtenheld's snarling shark and grimacing train are definitely ready for a fight, and his scenarios gleefully play up the absurdity. The combatants' expressions are priceless when they lose. A glum train in smoky dejection, or a bewildered, crestfallen shark? It's hard to choose; both are winners."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

*"This is a genius concept ... Just when readers will think the scenarios can't get more absurd, the book moves into even funnier territory. ... Lichtenheld's watercolor cartoons have a fluidity and goofy intensity that recalls Mad magazine, while Barton gives the characters snappy dialogue throughout."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Barton's imaginative and wacky scenarios are knocked home by Lichtenheld's ferociously funny artwork and will leave kids measuring up their dump truck and T-Rex for the next tale of the tape."—Booklist

"Barton's deadpan text-sparked with dialogue balloons that give the characters both personality and one-liners is matched by Lichtenheld's spot-on visual humor."—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—When a boy with a toy shark faces a train-wielding companion, it sets off a series of imaginative and very funny contests between fish and machine. The result of each battle depends on the setting. Shark wins at high diving, not surprisingly, while Train comes out on top when it comes to burping. Other face-offs are less immediately obvious: Train stretches vertically to triumph at basketball, while Shark's sharp-toothed clown costume works best for trick-or-treating. In some situations, neither combatant fares well: as Train comments on the scoreless video-game competition, "Sure would help if we had thumbs." The cleverly chosen contests reflect the imaginative powers of kids while retaining the consistent logic that's also essential to play. The notion of a shark and a train trying to be quiet in a library is absurd, for example, but the reasons why neither would succeed make perfect sense. Energetic cartoon illustrations take full advantage of the visual possibilities. Creative use of page space and perspectives gives a fresh look to each new battle. Just-right facial expressions capture the distinct personalities of the two competitors, including an evil grin from Shark at the Ping-Pong table and Train's uneasy look during a disastrous piano recital. Subtler visual details add to the humor, including a shark-jumping Fonzie reference that adults will appreciate. This inspired pairing, executed with ingenuity and packed with action and humor, is a sure winner.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR

School Library Journal

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