View source for The Shark In The Dark by Peter Bently and Ben Cort

{{infobox2
|sort=Shark In The Dark
|title=The Shark In The Dark
|author=Peter Bently and Ben Cort
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A fantastic tale of fishes working together to overcome the terrifying shark in the dark. The writing is magnificent, the illustrations the perfect accompaniment, and it all comes together to create a perfect whole. Highly recommended.
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=32
|publisher=Macmillan Children's Books
|date=May 2009
|isbn=978-0230707351
|aznuk=0230707351
|aznus=0230707351
|cover=0230707351
}}

All the fishies are swimming around the sea, having fun, when out of the dark comes... the shark! They shoot off nervously, and try to think of a way to save themselves from the danger. Will they succeed? Will they find a way to resist and repel the terrifying shark in the dark?

What a fantastic picture book! Peter Bently's clever story is told with a beautifully engaging poem. It flows perfectly, allowing the reader enough flexibility to emphasise it as best they feel, whilst not having the sort of stilted rhymes that are all too easy to include. (Sure, 'selfish' is rhymed with 'shellfish', but that's just the law when it comes to sea poems). There's everything you could possibly want in a tale: adventure, knee-knocking fear, daring plots, come-uppance and happy endings. With the few shark facts thrown in at the end, it makes for a story that couldn't be improved in any way at all.

Ben Cort's illustrations are equally excellent. It can be difficult to create well-rounded fishy characters without being excessively anthropomorphic, but he more than succeeds. The shark is as scary as it should be (without creating any nightmares), whilst the flounders and friends are suitably flappy. There's a lovely mix of oceanic blues and greens, with the various fish adding delightful splashes of colour.

''The Shark In The Dark'' is perfect for those who are on the brink of reading books themselves: there's an intriguing and involving plot to keep them entertained. It's substantial, but most importantly, it's a great romp brilliantly told. Highly recommended.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

If sharks are your thing, the similarly-named [[Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt]] is a great read. [[Shark and Lobster's Amazing Undersea Adventure by Viviane Schwarz]] is packed with lots of anarchic fun. [[Never Take a Shark to the Dentist by Judith Barrett and John Nickle]] is pure silliness - in the best possible sense. And just why is it that sharks make for such consistently great picture book characters?  You might find to in [[Olly Meets A Shark by Patricia Melia and Garry Thorburn]].

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[[Category:Peter Bently]]
[[Category:Ben Cort]]