Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton (ill. by Tom Lichtenheld)

Two little boys each grab a toy from a toy chest. One grabs a shark. One a train. In the competitive world of young boys, of course a battle ensues. The question is, who will win? Well, that depends.

And that is the real point behind Shark vs. Train (Little Brown, April 2010), that everybody has an edge somewhere. Shark and train take turns picking the locale of their face-off, then moving on to other comparative situations in which they might best their opponent. But when they come up against challenges that are too much for either champion, what happens then?

Chris Barton has come up with a glorious concept that boys in particular will love and Tom Lichtenheld's illustrations burst with personality and comic genius. The balloon comments and clever asides simply top off the giggle-fest.

Here's hoping this is the beginning of a series of "versus" books -- maybe Alligator vs. Monster truck next? Who knows, but if Barton and Lichtenheld team up to tell the tale, I have no doubt it'll be another hit.

4 1/2 bookmarks.