The Pirates are Coming!

And so, to my very first book review! And what a fabulous picture book to begin with . . .

The Pirates are Coming!

By John Cordon and Matt Hunt

Publisher: Nosy Crow, 2020

I have to be honest, pirate stories wouldn’t be my first reading choice. But the front cover of this vibrant picture book immediately attracted my attention.

On the first page we meet the endearing Tom, who sits at the top of a hill waiting for pirates! His job is to alert the villagers as to when they arrive, so that everyone can hide. And so begins a series of false alarms! Happily, the villagers are very understanding, while Tom’s dad patiently tells him what he should look out for. But what will happen if the pirates really do turn up?

The story is an absolute joy to read out loud, with fun repetition and a lovely predictable pattern to the prose. The adventure builds and builds, ending with not one but TWO unexpected and fabulous twists!

I give this book 5/5. Matt Hunt’s illustrations are wonderful and there is a wonderful bonus from the publisher Nosy Crow. If you have a smartphone there is a code (inside the front cover) for a free audio reading of the book!