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Shark vs. Train | November 30, 2011

by Chris Barton illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Little, Brown and Company, Apr. 2010)

I’ve been staring at a copy of Shark Vs. Train, written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, for several days now, pondering both the micro and the macro implications of such a battle. Micro: One boy loves his shark and another boy loves his train, but whose toy is ACTUALLY cooler? Macro: Which is more powerful, a man-made machine or a force of nature? Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld exuberantly mock our obsession with picking sides. Lichtenheld’s shark and train are brimming with personality, gloating and grumbling as they compete in a series of ridiculous battles, including burping, trick-or-treating, running a lemonade stand, and trying to be quiet in a library (which, understandably, they both lose). The result? The train is good at some things and the shark is good at others! How democratic!

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