There’s the drama and excitement of seeing a shark through the telescope-peepholes to the next page gives way to relief and laughter as we see what Timothy had mistaken for a shark.Īnd then we have the repetition of Timothy looking through his telescope makes them perfect for joining in with, both verbally and with actions… and of course the perfectly played out endings, which are all about the visusl humour and the reader knowing what the characters do not – Peapod absolutely delights in the endings! This is such a brilliantly devised series of books (we’re not-so-patiently waiting for Shark in the Park on a Windy Day to arrive, which I shamefully have only just found out about!).

Timothy Pope has a new telescope and he’s sure he’s spotted a shark! But as we turn the page, we’re relieved to see it’s not a shark after all, but a cat/crow/sail/ice cream…! Phew – there are no sharks today…are there?! We love these books, and they have a real enduring appeal I remember using Shark in the Park with my very first reception class over ten years ago – they couldn’t get enough of it and now Peapod is just as taken with it, excitedly shouting “shark in the park!” and vehemently shaking his head “nooooo!” when we reach the “shark in the park” peek through parts! Shark in the Park/Shark in the Dark by Nick Sharratt Picture Book And Play is a weekly post in which we look at a picture book (or books) Peapod’s been enjoying recently and some of the play we’ve had based on it.

Timothy pope shark in the park