My Granny is a Pirate by Val McDermid and Arthur Robins
| My Granny is a Pirate by Val McDermid and Arthur Robins | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Ruth Ng
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| Summary: A fun, rhyming tale of a granny's secret life as a pirate...great for little ones who spend their days walking round with a sword and an eye patch, demanding 'Pirate Grog' for tea! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: January 2012 |
| Publisher: Orchard | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1408309261 | |
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It seems the pirate phase is something all small children go through at some point. My daughter spent several months dressed as a pirate, completing her outfit with a knitted eye patch, which she asked my mum to knit for her, swiftly followed by a knitted parrot! It is rather fun to run around shouting 'Arrrrrrrrrr me hearties!' actually, so I can see the appeal. Anyway, this story caters beautifully for all the little wannabe pirates out there and tells of one little boy's granny and her secret life story.
One day a little boy is playing with his friends and says he has a family secret, and he'll tell them but only if they swear on a gold doubloon not to tell anyone else (and isn't doubloon a wonderful word?) The secret is that his granny is a pirate. She worked her way up the ranks from a cabin girl through to captain, but that she was always home in time for tea! She captured ships and found treasure and even fought off some skeletons who tried to steal her treasure! She had a secret cavern where she kept her granny clothes, and she would change before heading up the stairs to her house.
The book is written in a pleasing rhyme format and is very lively so you won't mind reading it over again. And again! The illustrations work well with the story too. Pirate Granny isn't at all fearsome-looking and has a cheery, friendly smile on her face whilst making her prisoners swab the decks or walk the plank! The only time she actually looks angry is when she's back in her normal granny clothes and facing the skeleton robbers who have come to steal her treasure, and then it isn't her sword she uses to fight them off but rather her handbag! There's nothing scary about this pirate book, so it's ideal for little ones, even if they're a bit nervous about these things!
My favourite picture is the one of granny's dog, Jolly Roger, when he's covering his ears as granny sings sea shanties! There's lots of detail to look at with the other pirates on her crew too, with some covered in tattoos, a hook for a hand, broken teeth or an eye patch. It's fun to see their antics on the ship and the artwork is very colourful and lively. The story finishes with the boy saying that if he keeps his granny's secret then he can be a pirate too, and so can you, the reader! The final image is of a band of merry little pirates playing in fun tree house that I wouldn't mind having down the bottom of my garden! An entertaining read for both boys and girls.
For more pirate action try Class Three All At Sea by Julia Jarman and Lynne Chapman and The Three Little Pirates by Georgie Adams and Emily Bolam
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You can read more book reviews or buy My Granny is a Pirate by Val McDermid and Arthur Robins at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy My Granny is a Pirate by Val McDermid and Arthur Robins at Amazon.com.
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