Violet and the Mean and Rotten Pirates

A band of fearsome pirates boards a ship to find that it is deserted and has been ransacked - but then they hear a noise and find a baby. She gets adopted and brought up by them, learning their trade fast and well. So well, that by the age of eight she is able to go on a raid with them. The details in this amusing book make interesting reading and are interspersed at just the right moments; the illustrations by Hearn are simple but expressive, complementing the text well. What happens to the pirates in the end is a surprise that readers will enjoy - and the way the book ends allows for what I hope will be a sequel.