Shark in the Dark by Nick Sharratt

September 2009, David Fickling Books
24 pages
Review copy

Children's

Cushions: 1/5
Pencils: 5/5
Smiles: 5/5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Sharks rule the earth. Or they should. This book, sadly, isn't about shark domination over the seas. It tells the story of Timothy's time before bed. He uses his telescope to look around the world outside his window. Everywhere he looks, he thinks he sees a shark. The fin shaped object turns out to be something else.

I thought the animals/objects used were rather clever. It looks into the subject of how when part of an image is shown it can be mistaken for something else. The repeated rhyming parts of the story will aid younger readers in remembering the story, and make it enjoyable for them. I'm sure once they've read it a few times they can repeat the words along with whoever reads it to them.

The coolest part of the book, which I did try out, were the glow in the dark parts. Everything that is mistaken for a shark's fin is made in a material that does glow in the dark. I just hope no older sibling decides to play a prank on their younger brother/sister, by appearing in their bedroom, holding up the book in the dark so all that can be seen is the object (or a shark's fin). Whoops - I've just given them ideas!

This book already has a home for the children of a shark-loving friend :)

Nick Sharratt's other work can be seen on his website (a work in progress).