I Spy . . . a Shark!

Cora Reef, Liam Darcy

• Publisher: Little Simon
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781665903707
• eBook ISBN: 9781665903721

Simon Seahorse meets a shark in this second book of The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse chapter book series—and it turns out sharks make for great stories…and great friends! Simon and Olive love playing "I Spy" in Coral Jungle because there are so many things to see! There are different types of coral, seagrass, and all sorts of fish. But one day they spy…a shark! They swim away as fast as they can, but the shark catches up to them and introduces herself. And it turns out Simon and Olive—and all of Coral Grove—have a lot to learn about sharks.With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Not-So-Tiny Tales of Simon Seahorse chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

1 A Shark Tale

“So, Koto the shark kept swimming,” Simon Seahorse said. “He was sure he was lost now.”

Simon glanced around at his family to make sure everyone was paying attention. His siblings and his dad were spread out on bubble chairs in the living room.

They’d finished dinner and were now passing around a platter of kelp-chip cookies. Everyone was listening to Simon’s story with wide eyes.

“Oh no!” said his youngest brother, Earl. “What is the shark going to do?”

“Just then,” Simon went on, “Koto came upon something he’d never seen before. It was a huge shipwreck with tons of treasures! There were piles of golden coins and sparkling silver statues.”

Lulu, Simon’s second-youngest sibling, squealed with excitement. She loved anything shiny.

“Suddenly, a lantern fish named Atlanta came swimming out!” Simon cried.

“Oh!” Earl piped up. “Your friend Atlanta. You told us about him before.”

Simon nodded and continued his story. “Atlanta knew the ocean better than anyone. And luckily for Koto, Atlanta knew exactly how to get back to Shark Point. So he showed Koto the way home, and the shark lived happily ever after. The end!”

Simon’s brothers and sisters cheered. Since there were twelve children in the Seahorse family, the sound filled the entire house.

Simon leaned back, smiling. He loved to mix things from real life with ideas from his imagination when he told his stories. Koto might have been pretend, but Atlanta the lantern fish was real. Simon had met him at Shipwreck Station when he’d been looking for his lost pearl.

“Dad?” Lulu asked. “Are sharks as scary as they seem?”

“Well,” Mr. Seahorse said slowly, “I’ve only met one shark in my life.…”

Everyone gasped, including Simon. How had he never heard about this before?

“Dad, you’ve really met a shark?” Earl asked.

“I really have,” Mr. Seahorse said. “It was a long time ago, before any of you were hatched. Some friends and I were bubble jumping at Red Reef Springs when we saw him.”

“What was he like?” Simon asked. “Were his teeth as sharp as swords? Did he try to swallow you up in one gulp?”

Mr. Seahorse laughed. “Actually, he was perfectly friendly. He had never been bubble jumping before, so we showed him how to do it. Then he said goodbye and made his way back to Shark Point!”

Simon frowned. That didn’t sound right. Everyone knew shar...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Chapter 1: A Shark Tale
• Chapter 2: The Special Project
• Chapter 3: Picking the Perfect Place
• Chapter 4: I Spy… a Shark!
• Chapter 5: A Speedy Escape
• Chapter 6: A Shark Named Zelda
• Chapter 7: Surprise Invitation
• Chapter 8: Welcome to Shark Point!
• Chapter 9: Happy Birthday!
• Chapter 10: The Final Report
• Simon’s Story
• ‘Don't Pop the Bubble Ball!’ Teaser
• About the Author and Illustrator
• Copyright