This is an unusual and touching story about compassion, friendship, and a special bond that forms between two siblings and an unlikely predator, a great white shark. Brother and sister, Stephen and Sabrina, are on a tropical island in the South Pacific. After a big storm hits the island, Sabrina and Stephen discover a baby great white shark that was injured and trapped in a tide pool. Over the next couple months, they feed and care for the baby shark until it was well and together the children carried it over to the shore and released it into the sea.
To the children’s surprise, the shark had grown attached to them and refused to leave. So all summer long he visited the children every day to swim and play around together. During this time the shark had grown up along with his appetite for larger prey which took him further and further away from the beach. Eventually the children stopped seeing the shark altogether and thought they would never see him again.
That is, until one day the children witness a ship wreck and attempt to save the frightened people who had jumped overboard into the water, only to find themselves in the same situation, all surrounded by sharks! Then out of nowhere an enormous adult great white shark appears and protects the children and the passengers of the shipwreck from harm.
An Unusual Friend is a welcome change of pace that portrays one shark as a sensitive and intelligent creature. This book encourages a love and respect for ocean life and compassion for beings other than humans. The story shows that helping others can bring both happiness and unexpected rewards for good deeds.
