Irish author Neil Sharpson and illustrator Dan Santat picked up the Book of the Year Award for their picturebook Don't Trust Fish! at the 2026 KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards. Here, we dive in to find out more...
Have you ever noticed that fish spend all of their time under water? What are they plotting down there? And did you know that a group of fish is called a 'school'? Exactly what are they learning in these ‘schools’? We must find answers. But one thing’s for sure. Whatever you do: Don’t. Trust. Fish.
Laugh along as you learn lots of fishy facts from a very suspicious narrator, who believes that there’s something more than a bit fishy about fish… Prepare to laugh, learn, and maybe even look at your pet goldfish a little differently.
Here's a small selection of Don't Trust Fish! © Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat 2025, published by Andersen Press.
For all of the above reasons, it is clear that we simply cannot trust fish! But, we can trust Neil and Dan, so keep reading to find out more about the people behind the book.
And press play at the top of this article where Neil takes us through his award-winning book.
Neil Sharpson (Author)
Neil Sharpson is an Irish author and playwright, who has written for theatre since his teens. He transitioned to writing novels in 2017, adapting his own play The Caspian Sea into When the Sparrow Falls. A huge fan of animation, Neil writes the comedic review blog Unshaved Mouse, focusing on animated film and comic book movies.
He is a graduate of the Abbey Theatre's New Playwright's Programme, and was shortlisted for the Maguire International Playwrighting Award. Don't Trust Fish is his debut picture book. Neil lives in Dublin with his wife and their two children.
Dan Santat (Illustrator)
Dan Santat is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator. His picture book, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, won the 2015 Caldecott Medal for distinguished illustration. He also wrote The Guild of Geniuses and created the Disney Channel animated series The Replacements. He lives in Southern California with his wife, two children and various pets.
For great reading recommendations and more sneak peeks, check out the monthly RTÉ KIDS Book Club online - with thanks to our friends at Children's Books Ireland.
