Synopsis: Dinosaur Pirates are what Flinn discovers upon an adventure that ensues following a chance visit to the art cupboard in his classroom. But can Fearless Flinn captain the ship to victory? And what happens when he returns to story time in class?

Review: Identifying the next trend is at the back of most authors’ minds. Yet since dinosaur stories roared on to the market their appeal has barely waned indicating they are becoming less of a trend and more of a genre. In Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs Giles Andreae – the creator of Purple Ronnie and the modern moralist Edward Monkton - has combined his knack for tapping into contemporary culture with an ability to communicate in a simple, yet powerfully witty, manner. Undoubtedly influenced by his own son’s passion for dinosaurs – Andreae’s character creation, Flinn, enters the art cupboard at school and, in turn, enters an adventurous world full of pirate dinosaurs. There then ensues a battle with all the elements of intrigue and suspense that keeps a young child engrossed. The illustrations and creative layout of the spreads are Lauren Child-esq. This, coupled, with an imaginative use of typeface, where the language style too transports young minds to a pirate world, all add flavour to the rumbustuous and chaotic nature of the battle task in hand. This book can’t fail to intrigue and entertain and the only reservation teachers may have is an awareness that there could be a subsequent increased interest in the contents of the art cupboard.

2006-10-07