Unusually clever and skilfully told this pirate story has echoes of We’re Going on a Bear Huntboth in the way that the narrative grows and builds from page to page and in its lovely surprise ending. A young boy is on the trail of Pirate Frank’s treasure and there are various obstacles to be overcome; seas to be sailed, mountains to be climbed, a volcano that spits out fire. When he finally reaches the spot, an encounter with the fearsome Frank has him running back the way he came. The rhyming text reads aloud perfectly, Jez Tuya’s illustrations are full of a sense of excitement and wonder, and there’s a great deal of adventure packed seemingly effortlessly into the pages. ~Andrea Reece
The Editor at Nosy Crow says: “This fabulous story, inspired by a traditional rhyme, has everything you could want from a pirate quest, with a wonderfully funny twist. Watch out for the cheeky treasuresnaffling monkeys!”
A boy and his dog set sail in search of treasure, braving stormy seas ...mountains snowy and cold ...the forest where the monkeys swing ...the swamp where the bullfrogs sing ...and other challenging obstacles, before finally reaching the end of their quest. But wait! Pirate Frank is A GIRL! And she doesn't want to share. Back home they go, retracing their steps before sailing away to dream of the treasure they've lost.
Elspeth Graham was born during a snowstorm in Northumberland, England. After university, she became passionately interested in reading to her children and understanding how children learn to read. Elspeth began to write books for children - some with her husband, and fellow author, Mal Peet. Mal’s stories became longer and longer and he went on to be an award- winning author of books for young adults. Mal and Elspeth loved writing picture books together and continued to do so until Mal’s death in 2015. The Treasure of Pirate Frank is one of the last picture books that they wrote together. Elspeth is still passionately interested in stories and the pleasure that there is in the simple act of reading. Elspeth lives in Devon with her dog Pedro.
