THE NIGHT PIRATES

Harris’s tale offers a swashbuckling adventure with a twist. Good boy Tom is lured to the buccaneer life by a collection of little girl pirates who arrive to steal away the façade of his house one evening—think stealth attacks and Trojan Horse tactics. He joins the courageous cuties as they set out to pilfer the treasure of the dastardly Captain Patch. Harris’s tale of derring-do hits just the right note for pint-sized pirates; there’s lots of suspense but very little fearsome action, even when the tots seize the bounty from the grown-up, yet cowardly band of Patch’s men. Harris imbues the narrative with a jaunty rhythm that will hold readers’ attention for the duration of the tale. Allwright’s collage-style illustrations are awash in the hues of the night, where midnight blue skies give way to lavender tints of moonlit sands. Her crew of feminine pirates is too cute to be intimidating, and Patch’s men are comical caricatures of bumbling buffoons, too silly to fear. Pirate fans of both sexes will enjoy this rollicking, high-seas caper. (Picture book. 3-6)