Polly and the Pirates

by Tony Bradman, James Davies (Illustrator)

Overview

When their pirate crew cast them adrift on the ocean wave, it looks like certain death for Caleb, Annie, and their baby daughter Polly. Against all odds, they make it to land and find a new home, but Polly can't seem to settle into normal life. When Polly's class comes under attack from pirates on a school trip, she finally discovers what she is destined to be!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405282499
Publisher:	Egmont UK
Publication date:	06/01/2016
Series:	Reading Ladder Series
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 5.60(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Tony Bradman is the author of Daddy's Lullaby, The Magnificent Mummies, and The Perfect Baby, and the editor of My Dad's a Punk. James Davies is an illustrator.

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2014
K-Gr 2—When pirates Caleb and Annie dare to get married and—even worse—have a baby, Bad Bart and the crew of The Jolly Herbert set them adrift at sea. After a night on the ocean, the little pirate family makes it to shore and begins a new life on land. As baby Polly grows, she adopts her parents' pirate ways, but once she starts school, her teacher Miss Primly worries that Polly has not yet shown any special talents. The more Miss Primly observes, however, the more she realizes that Polly may just have a few hidden talents after all, and Polly's latent skills as a pirate come in handy when her class faces The Jolly Herbert while on a school trip to the seaside. Davies's bright, cartoonish illustrations are filled with pirate puns and amusing details to discover throughout the pages (like a carton of "Aahrange Juice" on the breakfast table), but the story's plot ambles quite a bit. The frequent use of pirate slang ("'Stop talkin' bilge!' said Caleb. 'We've always been good skippers.'") may also challenge newly independent readers, who are the target audience for this transitional early reader. Avid pirate fans are likely to enjoy the book but may be better served by the likes of Johnny Duddle's The Pirates Next Door (Candlewick, 2012) or Melinda Long's How I Became a Pirate (Harcourt, 2003).—McKinley Elementary School, Abington School District, PA

School Library Journal