Three Little Pirates, The

What a refreshing change to come across a pirate book that’s not aimed strictly at boys. Trixy, Tammy and Trig are girl pirates who live aboard their ship, Lucky Lobster, along with Mullet the dog, Kipper the cat, Gulliver the parrot and a pair of ship-mice. When evil pirate Vanilla Cringe and her crew of sea dogs capture a group of mermaids, Mo, the princess mermaid, turns to the three little pirates for help.

This is an enjoyable read. The plot is packed with adventure and intrigue that children will find immediately engaging, and the vibrant colour illustrations on each page make this book a delight to explore. Many of the pictures have been embellished with a cartoon-style first person narrative, a thoughtful detail that really helps to bring the story to life.

The Three Little Pirates is a good all-rounder that will appeal to both boys and girls. Confident readers should have no trouble tackling it on their own, while others may prefer to interpret the story through the pictures and shorter cartoon text. It’s also a perfect choice to read aloud to younger children.