The Beastly Pirates by John Kelly (Bloomsbury Publishing)

It's quite a spooky coincidence that on the day we first spotted this book in our local library, borrowing it immediately, we were sent a copy for review by Bloomsbury Publishing (lovely lovely folk that they are!)

We've long been fans of pirate books and we're always looking for a new wrinkle on those sea-salty nautical coves. The story starts in a dark tavern, frequented by some of the most dastardly buccaneers to roam the seven seas. Their tales of bravado, booty and derring-do are fantastical, but one set of tales chills even the most fearless pirate right to the bone - the tale of the Beastly Pirates.

An animal crew, each with their own nefarious talents, The Beastly Pirates are brave, treasure obsessed and very very hungry - and there's nothing they like better than feasting on other pirates!

Cooked in a pie, or scoffed with spaghetti, the beastly pirates stop at nothing to satisfy their appetites!

John Kelly has tapped into a rich storytelling tradition with aplomb in this eye-catching book which grabbed our attention with more than a knowing nod and wink to that other pirate meister, Jonny Duddle. We did love the twist at the end of the book (which we won't ruin for you) but most disturbingly of all, for a couple of vegetarians at that, a few of those pirate-based recipes made our stomachs gurgle!!

Charlotte's best bit: Pirate bolognese actually looks SO delicious!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A nifty new tweak and twist on the pirate genre so beloved of children's authors and illustrators, feast on this book at once!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Bloomsbury Publishing)

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