Children’s picture books are great, the kids have loved them and I find them really interesting, especially as a lot of them have a message within them that children can learn from and take something away from, as well as enjoying a good story at bedtime.
Carole P. Roman is a prolific award-winning author of children’s picture books and they always have an excellent message within them or are on an educational topic (like the If You Were Me and Lived In … series), especially as the books are written with her own family in mind.
She is also the author of the Captain No Beard series, for children aged 4 to 8 years old. There are currently 10 books in this series, and we sat down to enjoy the very first book in this wonderful series, An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life.
The Captain No Beard story is actually a story about two children playing together, cousins Alexander and Hallie. Alexander is the fearless Captain No Beard. And Hallie is his first mate. They set off on an imaginary voyage on their imaginary pirate ship The Flying Dragon with their fearless crew (who just happen to all their stuffed toys). The crew is made up scary (or maybe not) pirates named Mongo the Monkey, Linus the Lion and Fribbet the Frog. As is a pirate’s life, they are in such of treasure.
Once Alexander, Hallie and all the stuffed animals board his bed (I mean pirate ship), their world is transformed in to a magical and wonderful imaginary world of pirates setting sail on the high seas. They sail the seas looking for treasure. But they encounter a storm and meet a mermaid (who just happens to be the best mermaid in the world – Alexander’s mum, I mean Captain No Beard’s mum, bringing some pirate grub, or indeed, cookies)!
Overall, Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life is a fun and vibrant story full of imagination and creativity. This beautifully written book, by award-winning author Carole P. Roman, is a delight to read as well as being a visual delight with its bright and bold colourful imagery that accompanies the text.
I first read this book with my niece when she was just three years old and she loved it. It has also been enjoyed by other family members as well and still gets taken off the shelf for some fun story time and bedtime reading. Although a short book, as most picture books are, it is perfect length (around 10 minutes reading) for bedtime reading and encourages plenty of discussions about pirates and imaginative play.
The story is very easy to read and understand and the bright illustrations help explain what is happening very well, enabling toddlers and emerging readers to visualise the story while being able to add in their own interpretations.
An excellent picture book and story that children will adore!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £7.99 (paperback)
For more information, visit www.caroleproman.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
