The Pirates Are Coming!

Another brilliant adventure book from Nosy Crow! John Condon tells the story of a boy who repeatedly raises a false alarm that 'The Pirates Are Coming!'. With an accompanying QR code, the story is read-aloud with excellent sound effects and accents which completely brings the book to life and allows listeners to fully immerse themselves in the story.

I knew this story would be a fun read as soon as I was greeted by the text beginning on the green grass of a hill and the immediate effective use of ellipsis with the repetitive, 'So he waited...and waited....and waited.' I quickly learnt that this story follows the same structure as the classic tale and a personal favourite, 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. Tom is looking out for pirates and each time he sees a ship, he concludes that it must be pirates and urges everybody to hide. Matt Hunt's expressive illustrations of Tom pull you in and make you feel Tom's infectious excitement and energy. Of course, everybody begins to grow tired of Tom's relentless warnings. However, when the pirates really DO arrive, there is a rather comical and unexpected ending - amusing for children and parents alike!

This book can be enjoyed by all ages and is an excellent tool for exploring the use of punctuation for effect with its clever use of ellipsis to keep the reader engaged and thirsty to read further. The repetitive language and shouts from Tom make this book extremely entertaining to read aloud and easy for an audience of any age to join in with the fun. The children in my class have waited... and waited... and waited to have this read to them again!

Picture book / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Jessica Bunney, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+