Hodder Children’s Books ISBN 9781444923704 £5.99
Pocket Pirates is a fun tale of a miniature band of pirates doing their best to survive in a world of human proportions. Like the much loved ‘The Borrowers’ but for a new audience and with a contemporary pirate twist, the madcap adventures of Captain Crabsticks and his crew will delight young readers and have them howling with laughter. Children will enjoy identifying the many familiar household items used for new swashbuckling purposes – the cotton wheel as a dining seat, the needle as a fierce sword, and it is a great stimulus for creative thinking about other everyday items that could be used. This particular story is hung on escaping the clutches of the dastardly Mr Dregby, the resident spider. With the perfect balance of gruesome imagery (the Venus flytrap ‘eats living creatures’) and tantalising escape plans (‘it was obvious he could eat his way out, just like the spider eats his web’) this book manages to incorporate lots of interesting facts about the real and equally amazing world of nature. Science facts are embedded into a fun and engaging caper. Sketches throughout help bring the story to life and make this a perfect chapter book, bridging the gap between picture books and first novels. The book contains some brilliant ideas for incorporating into the curriculum, engaging children with topics on nature and using art and design to build a miniature pirate world of their own.
Laura Davies, Project Development Coordinator for Fair Foundations, Chwarae Teg