Edward and the Pirates

McPhail's picture book _Edward and the Pirates_ is about a young reader named Edward. Sometimes his imagination carries him away. Usually he gets involved in a book, and then he imagines himself in the plot, or imagines the plot coming to life. Then he goes to one of his favorite places, the library. He finds a book on pirates which begins "Some pirate treasure has never been found." Later, Edward takes the book home, begins to read, and then sometime during the night he imagines a pirate adventure which involves his library book, his parents, and a gang of ruthless-looking (but tame enough for a toddler) pirates. The illustrations are very dark, yet this works to the book's advantage. My son has asked me to read _Edward and the Pirates_ to him a dozen times (my son is 3 1/2 years old), and he often finds new details amidst the dark illustrations. The book sends a wonderful message about libraries (use them!) and reading (do it!) and imagination (use that too!), not to mention parents (they're the good guys!) and the imaginary episode is clearly written into the plot. Even my son realizes that there aren't really pirates in Edward's bedroom. My son is intensely interested in pirates, and _Edward and the Pirates_ entertains him. The book sends wonderful messages while telling a strong story. Highly recommended. ken32

Would a 4 year old girl who's totally into the Disney Princesses like a book about pirates? It turns out that this book is not exactly about pirates, but about a little boy and his imagination. My 4 year old niece loves the book, so don't think it's just for boys!

A lively, humorous story as well as a work of art. This book will be enjoyed by children over and over again because it touches the imagination. For adults it is a reminder of the reason good reading is so enjoyable, because it brings the story alive!

This richly illustrated, imaginative story was an instant favorite with our 3-year old pirate afficionado. Edward's passion for reading has inspired our son to discover reading by himself is its own adventure. The painterly style in Mc Phail's illustrations add a flavor of mystery and allow readers to season the story with their own imaginative details. I'm hoping for a sequel!