Pirates Magnified; David Long, illustrated by Harry Bloom

Ahoy, me hearties! Are you ready for a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas? Do you know your Blackbeard from your Black Bart? Grab your cutlass (wooden leg and parrot are optional) and hop on board as there are seas to sail, grog to be drank and loot to plunder.

This is a who’s who of pirates that explores a time when the seas were deadly and fraught with danger. Learn about the legends of pirating history, from the great and good who only stole from the rich, to the ruthless and conniving who used all sorts of dirty tricks to fool their unsuspecting victims.

The pirate life was not for everyone as you’ll soon discover as you venture both above and below deck. It was dangerous, the risks were high but then so were the rewards. You could die in battle and many pirates became ill as food choices were rather limited and clean water was in very short supply. Could you have been the perfect pirate?

I love the layout of this book. Ten famous pirates are explored across ten double page spreads. Each double page spread features a brief introduction to the pirate and eye-popping ‘Where’s Wally’ style illustrations. Readers are challenged to find ten specific objects on each double page spread and each object is accompanied by a brief description. The use of the included magnifying glass is most definitely needed to zoom in on those pesky pirates.

Additional sections include information and facts on navigation, daily life, goods to trade, surviving bad weather and hunting for shipwrecks. Added extras at the back of the book include a portrait gallery of pirates throughout history, a learn to talk like a pirate section and a glossary of pirate-themed words. A ‘Can you find?’ section will have readers flicking back through the pages to try and locate fifty-seven more things. 

Right ye scallywags, let’s get this ship looking ship-shape as it’s time to weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen. And for any of ye that aren’t up to the task you’ll be walking the plank. A brilliant book to explore for any pirate-mad landlubbers.

Recommended for 6+.