Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure, by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto

Flinn, a seemingly ordinary boy who likes pirates and dinosaurs, is on a school trip to see dinosaur skeletons at a museum. He and his friends are in awe of the huge skeleton of the giganotosaurus, which the guide tells them was even mightier than Tyrannosaurus Rex. They are also intrigued when the guide shows them an empty glass case from which Captain Rufus Rumblebelly's treasure was stolen the night before.

Flinn and friends follow a trail of feathers and gold coins, thinking that it might hold a clue to the treasure. It leads them into a dark cupboard and, surprise surprise, the back of the cupboard falls away. The children find themselves in the cabin of a pirate ship where Rumblebelly's grandson, Gordon Gurgleguts, has been tied up and left. He admits to having taken the treasure from the museum, but it was then stolen from him.

Gurgleguts appoints Flinn as captain of the ship, and off they set to Bag o' Bones Island in search of the thieves and treasure. The culprits are of course the pirate dinosaurs, who manage to capture Gurgleguts and threaten to barbecue him. Tyrannosaurus Rex, however, remembers his previous encounter with Captain Flinn and brings on his fearsome cousin, Gigantosaurus. This huge monster is terrified of a tiny spider hanging from Flinn's hat. Flinn seizes the opportunity to grab the treasure, free Gurgleguts and tie up the dinosaurs. It's not long before they are heading back on the ship. At the museum, the guide is delighted to see the treasure returned, but there's no way he's going to believe in pirate dinosaurs.

“Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure” is Giles Andreae's sequel to Flinn's first adventure when he vanquished Tyrannosaurus Rex. The idea of Flinn and his friends falling through the back of the cupboard not only has shades of C.S. Lewis' “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, but is a repetition of the way the children found themselves on a pirate ship in the previous book. The story itself is, however, full of humour and excitement, and the ingredients of pirates, dinosaurs and lost treasure are bound to appeal to many young children.

Giles Andreae has of course invented the giganotosaurus, and has included a friendly note before the story starts on the pronunciation of the name, breaking it down into six syllables. I think a fair few adults will appreciate this. “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure” is a great read-aloud adventure, but with lengthy dinosaur names and insults like “dastardly dunderheads”, it is not an ideal book for a child learning to read. Most of the text is in a large font, in fact some words and phrases are extra large for emphasis, but sometimes the font resembles handwriting. The text is superimposed on the illustrations, and in a few cases the background is a little dark.

Russell Ayto's illustrations are wonderful and definitely bring the story to life. He uses vibrant reds, blues and yellows alongside more muted colours, and really goes to town with the characters. The dinosaurs have huge toothy grins and evil eyes, while Gurgleguts is a round body with stick-like limbs and tiny spotted handkerchief on his head. As in the previous book, there is a colourful cross-section of the pirate ship showing mice in hammocks, a bed with a skull bed-head, and a soppy Gurgleguts hugging one of the children goodbye.

The device of the back of the cupboard falling away to get the children onto a ship was disappointing in the first story and even more so when it was repeated in “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure”. Nevertheless, Giles Andreae has created an adventure story that most children, certainly boys, will love. The group of four-year-olds that I read it aloud to reacted to it with plenty of enthusiasm. One of the boys had the book at home and was able to recite a little song from the book as well as join in with a few other lines here and there. It was obviously a book that he had asked to have read to him again and again. Although not a favourite picture book of mine, the humour and sense of adventure make this a story that three to five-year-olds will not be bored by. Slightly older children may enjoy it too, but a young independent reader will probably find it quite challenging. Recommended for any fans of pirates and dinosaurs.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure
By Giles Andreae (Author) and Russell Ayto (Illustrator)
Paperback, 32 pages
Puffin, 2008
ISBN 9780141500492
Price £6.99 (Amazon £4.18)

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs, by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto

Flinn, like so many other boys his age, loves dinosaurs and pirates. One day at school his teacher sends him to a walk-in cupboard to look for the pens he needs to colour a dinosaur picture. While inside, Flinn hears the sound of a man crying. He is amazed to find Captain Stubble, a pirate, shaking and shuddering on the floor under a curtain. The reason for Captain Stubble's despair is that his ship has been stolen. Flinn offers to help him get it back, and out of nowhere three of his friends appear, all clamouring to join in the adventure.

Suddenly the back of the cupboard falls away and they find themselves on board a pirate ship. Captain Stubble appoints Flinn as the new captain, as he would rather be the cook. Off they sail in search of the lost ship, the 'Acorn'. After a long voyage they spot it through their telescope but are horrified to see that it has been taken over by pirate dinosaurs, with a mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex at the helm. They bravely attack, and soon all the dinosaurs except for T Rex jump overboard. Flinn challenges Tyrannosaurus to a duel, and miraculously keeps going until the dinosaur surrenders. Tyrannosaurus promises to be good from then on, and is so impressed by Flinn that he appoints him as the new captain of the dinosaur pirates.

Flinn, however, suddenly realises he should be back at school. They sail home while Stubble cooks shark's fin stew for everyone. Back on shore the children wave goodbye to Stubble and Tyrannosaurus Rex, then clamber back into the school cupboard. As they creep into the classroom, Miss Pie has just finished reading a story to the class. She wonders what Flinn and his pals have been up to, but they just smile at each other and say, “Nothing really at all.”

Giles Andreae has taken two popular groups of characters in the form of pirates and dinosaurs to create a fast-paced adventure that could hardly fail to be a success, especially among young boys. When I asked a group of four-year-olds which stories they would like to repeat in their drama sessions at the end of the school year, “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” was one of their three choices. (The other two were Julia Donaldson's “A Squash and a Squeeze” and “Courtney” by John Burningham.) It is easy to see the appeal. It is, however, hard to overlook the parallel with C.S. Lewis' “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” when Flinn and company fall through the back of the cupboard. Pre-school children of course are unlikely to be aware of this similarity. Even so, whilst there is excitement and a bravely fought duel, the story is neither original nor intriguing. The ending is also somewhat of an anticlimax.

Russell Ayot's illustrations for “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” are bold, humorous and highly colourful. Tyrannosaurus in his pirate rig-out has evil eyes and deadly sharp teeth, confronting puny Flinn who bravely wields his silver cutlass with a determined expression. At one point we see a fascinating cross-section of the 'Acorn' with almost toothless pirate prisoners tied up below deck, and Tyrannosaurus Rex grinning in anticipation as he watches Stubble (who has a great deal of stubble) stirring the stew. There's even a bemused little blue parrot. Smoke puffs out from the kitchen against a scarlet sky.

“Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” is definitely a read-aloud story rather than a book for a child learning to read. The text is superimposed on the illustrations, usually on a light-coloured background but occasionally on red or blue. Some words and phrases appear in a larger font for emphasis, and one or two are in capitals in a font that looks like handwriting. Exclamation marks abound. A lot of young children are familiar with the names of various species of dinosaur that appear here, such as stegosaurus and triceratops, but that does not of course mean that they would find them easy to read. Phrases such as “All hands on deck!” or “Right, me hearties” lend authenticity to the pirate theme, but here again originality is sadly lacking.

“Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” is a particularly lively book that is more than likely to hold the attention of children, especially boys, aged from three up to six or perhaps seven. It is not the greatest, most imaginative story, but children of that age may not be so critical. One or two of the illustrations could be frightening for a very young child, but on the whole they are amusing and bring the story to life. This is a picture book that may not be the favourite for the adult reader, but could be very popular with a child that loves action with pirates or dinosaurs or both.


Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
Giles Andreae (Author) and Russell Ayto (Illustrator)
Puffin, 2006
Paperback, 32 pages
ISBN 9780140569216
Price £6.99 (Amazon £4.99)

Romp in the Swamp, by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds

Harry and his bucket of dinosaurs are not looking forward to going to play with a girl called Charlie. There's no way out, however, as Mum and Nan are taking Harry's big sister Sam to visit her new school. The dinosaurs are hiding because they are afraid that Charlie will manhandle them, but Harry assures them that he won't let her touch them. Into the bucket they go, and Harry gets into the family car. Poor Nan has to sit between Sam and Harry because they don't exactly get along well together.

When Harry is dropped off at Charlie's house, he hides the bucket of dinosaurs behind his back and looks rather glum. The two children go indoors and sit at opposite ends of the sofa with their toys. But Charlie soon gets up and starts filling a big basket with toys, cushions, boxes, string, and even plants. It looks so interesting that Harry and the dinosaurs go after her into the garden to see what she's up to. The dinosaurs realise straight away that Charlie is making a primeval swamp, and the garden hose is hissing away, just like an enormous snake.

Lots of fun ensues, during which Tyrannosaurus has to be rescued from the snake's deadly grip and the basket serves as a cage to capture the snake. The children and the dinosaurs end up having tea in the garden, and by the time he is picked up Harry has decided that he – and the dinosaurs, of course – would definitely like to come back and play with Charlie again.

'Romp in the Swamp' is one of a series of books about Harry and his bucketful of dinosaurs that are hugely popular with young children, partly because they tie in with a television series too. Author Ian Whybrow's books usually deal with situations that children might find very daunting, such as the first day at school or a visit to the dentist, and show that they can turn out to be enjoyable rather than something to worry about. 'Romp in the Swamp' is obviously no exception, as a young child could feel very nervous about going to a strange house to play with another child he doesn't know while the rest of his family have gone somewhere without him. The story is full of fun and might help to reassure a child that going to visit another family should be an occasion to look forward to. It's also a story that shows young children having a great time with imaginative play.

The text is in a large, clear font and there are rarely more than four lines per page, superimposed on a light-coloured area of the illustrations. There are of course names of dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus and Scelidosaurus, but I often find that young children are pretty good at learning these, partly because they just love dinosaurs. Other than these names, the vocabulary used is straightforward, but this is essentially a picture book for reading aloud. Because it involves dinosaurs and is so entertaining, it might still appeal to a confident young reader of perhaps six years old to read independently or share with a younger sibling.

Adrian Reynolds' illustrations for 'Romp in the Swamp' are bold and colourful, mainly using primary colours with plenty of green. They fill the pages and more often than not are double spreads. The dinosaurs always have suitable facial expressions, often open-mouthed, and always enthusiastic when things are exciting and fun. The garden hose 'snake' is a red and yellow striped one that stands out perfectly against the grass and leaves, as well as the blue plastic basket used to capture him.

It is hard to go wrong with picture books about dinosaurs with most young children, and I have always found that Harry and the bucketful of dinosaurs have a tremendous appeal. I have used 'Romp in the Swamp' as the basis for a drama session with four-year-olds, and they love pretending to be dinosaurs, especially when they can 'Raaaah!' This is a book I would definitely recommend, perhaps for children as young as two. It's great fun to read aloud.

Harry and the Dinosaurs say 'Raahh!'

Taking a young child to the dentist for the first time could prove to be a frightening experience for them, having to encounter complete strangers and deal with the prospect of pain, but Ian Whybrow comes to the rescue with his story 'Harry and the Dinosaurs say “Raahh!”'

Little Harry with the big fringe takes his bucket of dinosaurs everywhere with him in Whybrow's series of picture books. At the start of 'Harry and the Dinosaurs say “Raahh!”' Harry is busily cleaning his teeth in preparation for his first visit to the dentist. He is a little afraid because elder sister Sam has shown him her filling. His dinosaurs are hiding but they all jump in the bucket when he calls them, except for Tyrannosaurus who has so many teeth he is worried that the dentist might have to drill them. Harry reassures him by telling him that he will press the magic button on the bucket to make Tyrannosaurus grow big, and off they go on the back of mum's bike.

When Harry goes into Mr Drake the dentist's room, he isn't convinced about the promised ride in the chair that goes up and down. Mr Drake lets him put Tyrannosaurus in the chair, and while his back is turned Harry presses the magic button to make Tyrannosaurus bigger. As the dentist turns round again, Tyrannosaurus lets out a tremendous roar that scares Mr Drake into hiding behind the door and asking for Harry's help. Harry quickly presses the button again to reduce Tyrannosaurus to his bucket size.

Harry now feels much more confident about sitting in the dentist's chair, and Mr Drake assures him that there is no need to use the drill; he will just have a look at Harry's teeth and give him a mouthwash to rinse with. Of course the dinosaurs have to rinse as well, and one of them disrespectfully spits the mouthwash right in Mr Drake's face to Harry's great amusement.

On the way home Mum lets Harry choose a book from the library, and the dinosaurs are delighted that he chooses one about sharks because there are plenty of sharp teeth involved.

This story is much more fun than the usual kind of book about going to the dentist. It would probably encourage a child to feel more confident about going if they took a favourite toy along. The episode where Mr Drake is frightened of the Tyrannosaurus shows that adults, even dentists, are vulnerable too and get scared sometimes just like children. Rinsing with the mouthwash is shown to be great fun, and drills are unlikely to be needed for very young children. The double-page spread at the beginning and end of the book showing dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes wielding toothbrushes and squeezing toothpaste is a great way of showing children that brushing teeth is just like a game.

Adrian Reynolds's illustrations for the book are big, bold and colourful. Expert young children can have fun identifying the different types of dinosaur, or just enjoy the unexpected incidents in Mr Drake's room.

The text is in a large, clear font and only in a few instances are there more than three lines to a page, superimposed on the pictures. This is obviously intended to be a picture book to read aloud to very young children, but young readers who are gaining confidence might enjoy having a bash at it too. They might need help reading the names of the dinosaurs, or of course they might just surprise you!

There are a few parents who feel that mention of the dentist's drill in the story is too frightening for the very young, but the fact that Harry does not need it helps to reassure them that they are unlikely to either. Children are probably going to hear and see the drill at the dentist's, and it is better to have discussed it beforehand rather than having to come up with a last-minute explanation.

Harry and the Dinosaurs say 'Raahh!'

by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds

Board book, 24 pages

Puffin Books, 2005

ISBN 141381299

Price £4.99