The Ravenous Beast by Niamh Sharkey (Walker Books, £10.99)

WHO is the hungriest animal of them all?

The gigantic whale? The grinning lion?

The little white mouse?

Or could it be... the Ravenous Beast?

Well-known illustrator Niamh Sharkey (The Gigantic Turnip, Jack and the Beanstalk, Tales from Old Ireland) has produced a vibrant work for younger children that includes plenty of animals, some fantastic illustrations and quite a lot of very bizarre food.

A great book to read aloud, youngsters will enjoy joining in with the munching as each creature in turn attempts to prove they are the hungriest of them all.

Given the title of the book, this title may seem a foregone conclusion for most adults, but I suspect children will enjoy the supreme act of gluttony on the final pages anyway.

Jim Collins