Written by: John Condon

Illustrated by: Matt Hunt

Published by: Nosy Crow

The Pirates are Coming is a captivating tale about Tom who climbs the hill each morning to watch for pirates to arrive at the village. John Condon uses knowledge of eh classic story The Boy Who Cried Wolf to its advantage to set up a humorous and satisfying twist ending.

Unlike The Boy Who Cried Wolf story, Tom is not being naughty when he cries, “The Pirates are Coming!” as he really does believe he has spotted a pirate ship. Tom’s dad explains what a pirate ship looks like with patience and understanding, which gives the text a heart-warming feel.

I like the ingenious ways the villagers hide from the [pirates in the illustrations by Matt Hunt. Young readers can explore the pictures to see if they are able to find where each villager is hiding providing an interactive reading experience.

This book could be used to extend observation skills by looking at a selection of different silhouettes and asking the children to guess what the object is. An ideal book for stimulating discussion on families and relationships.