Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton

Title: Shark Vs. Train
Author: Chris Barton
From the Monarch Award 2012 Master List

I have never heard of any kind of comparison between sharks and trains before this story.  Here they compete in a great variety of competitions.  The characters seem to have a very strong rivalry that most can easily relate to, it doesn't matter the type of competition all that matters is who wins.  This book shows that everyone has their own strengths but also that two completely different things like sharks and trains can have similarities as well.  What I like most about this book is how the illustrations tell so much more of the story than the words do.  If you simply read the book aloud without looking at the pictures, you would have a story simply about the fight between a shark and a train, with their personal commentaries in small speech bubbles.  The illustrations tell you that the shark and train are toys, and that it is two young boys fighting about which toy is better.
The story eventually shows that it is okay to be yourself, and not the best at everything.  No one is the best at everything, but we all are good at something.  This would encourage students to look for their own great qualities while understanding that other students will be better at other things.  Also, a lot of the competitions involved in the story are very relatable to children and what games they play and things they like to do.