The Ravenous Beast by Niamh Sharkey
Published by Walker Books, 2003

A whole range of animals compete for the honour of being the hungriest of all in this delightful picture book by Niamh Sharkey. Each page introduces someone who just has to be hungrier than the previous contender. After they are introduced to us in picture and words page by page they are cleverly presented collectively on the left of the double page spreads in the instantly recognizable illustrations of the author.

Enter The Ravenous Beast and he is hungry, hungry, hungry! But is he the hungriest animal of all? The little white mouse, they spotty dog, the green crocodile etc. are so busy vying with each other for the title that they don’t even contemplate his arrival but they want to watch out. The ravenous beast might just gobble them up and swallow them down!

The thoughtful amalgamation of picture and text crucial to the appeal of this and all other picture books will undoubtedly interest children aged between three and six.

Niamh Sharkey’s unmistakable illustrations can be seen in other well-known picture books for children such as Tales of Wisdom and Wonder by Hugh Lupton et al, The Gigantic Turnip by Alexei Tolstoy and Tales of Old Ireland by Malachy Doyle.

Tales of Wisdom and Wonder won the 1998/1999 Bisto Book of the Year Award and The Ravenous Beast is shortlisted for this year’s award.

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