The books selected this week have nothing to do with summer or summer hazards but you may think I've reviewed these books for this reason. However, the following books about sharks will be fascinating and informative! I chose this theme because my favorite paper engineers, Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, have just published their newest fantastic pop-up book.

“Encyclopedia Prehistorica Sharks and Other Monsters” is another winning collaboration of these two masters. As with their other masterpiece, “Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs”, this book has the signature style of full page pop-ups with the turn of every page along with multiple pages that pop-up on practically all 4 corners of each opened page. The book takes you through the progression of several types of smaller prehistoric animals with descriptions and information about each type as you go through the book. It begins with the history of the sea and how people who lived long ago really believed that strange sea monsters lurked in the deepest parts of the ocean. Although these beliefs are just tales, “they are also based in fact - long before humans walked the earth, real sea monsters ruled the deep.” With the turn of this corner page, you find a small under water scene that pops out. This small pop-up is so interesting, you can't help but read about the amphibians and invertebrates described on the small side page. Under that page pops out another page describing reptiles and the Mesozoic Era. The pop-ups are three different and rather mean looking dinosaurs. And there's still one more small pop-up page to turn to after this. The small megalodon shark seems to be attacking a whale. The giant sea scorpion that pops-up in the middle of the page is the “monstrous pterygotus”. My favorite page has the giant pop-up of a shark with sharp jagged teeth that appears to be ready for attack! This book, just like the dinosaur book, achieves the ultimate for me. And that is that the layout of the book (with the pop-ups) is so inviting that it entices you to want to read about the animal that just popped out or up. Even if you don't think you have much interest in these ancient animals, beware. I'd be willing to bet that you'll want to read all about everything you see in this book. And believe me, there is so much to see and read about, you'll almost feel like an expert on the subject when you're done. This is one of those books that all families should have in their home library!

“Jurassic Shark” , by Deborah Diffily, has a most unique depiction of the Jurassic world. Karen Carr is the featured painter and one glance at the cover will amaze you. But that's just the beginning of what's inside this amazing book. The paintings are so incredible, you almost sense that they are real. The pictures feature the Hybodus which has descendents that are the great white shark. Many of the pictures show this huge animal with its jaws open wide, baring many sharp teeth and on the attack. You'll be amazed at the incredible coral paintings Ms. Carr has created. The text is brief, but packed with information, making this the perfect book for all ages to enjoy!

“Sharks and Other Dangers of the Deep” , by Simon Mugford and designed by Matt Denny, is a very colorful and descriptive picture book full of photographs and illustrations. The first page has a full size shark with diagrams and arrows to help you understand brief facts about this misunderstood animal. For instance, did you know that sharks have a great sense of smell, superb eyesight and electrical sensors to sense when prey is nearby. There's also an ingenious scale on this same page indicating the degree of the shark's danger to man as well as how big it is. The text is kid friendly and colorful making the book an interesting factual book. This book is great for all ages!

"Sharks! TIME for Kids Science Scoops Series” by the editors of TIME for Kids with Adrienne Betz, is a non-fiction book for early readers. The small sized book is packed with photos, facts and diagrams of this amazing species. Kids with the ability to read beyond the simple sentence structure will love this book. But kids of all ages will enjoy the book from cover to cover. (By the way, if you've not seen any of these outstanding non-fiction books, you're missing out on a fantastic series!)

Now for a little comic relief, “ Shark and Lobster's Amazing Undersea Adventure” by Viviane Schwarz, is a funny story about the title characters. Shark and Lobster are afraid of a land animal and attempt to hide deep in the ocean. What do they discover to hide in and how do things turn out? Kids ages 4 through 8 will enjoy the unique layout of opening up the book from top to bottom.