The World’s Worst Pirate by Michelle Worthington and Katrin Dreiling

The World’s Worst Pirate is a must have book in your library. It is full of fun and adventure that will entice re-reading – and when you do, you will be surprised at all the extra clues, information and elements of play that you missed the first time.

The text written by Michelle Worthington is simple but rich. She knows how to develop plot and introduce twists and turns to make this a well-crafted story. She also introduces readers to the legendary, Norwegian based sea-monster – the Kraken. This adds a little non-fiction to the story and would surely entice further investigation given its unusual name, given that readers most probably will not have heard of it before.

This gigantic squid / octopus like, historical creature dates back to the early 1700’s. It has been referenced in many stories, including Moby Dick and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea.

 Katrin Dreiling ‘s mixed media artistic interpretation of the story is nothing short of amazing. Her style is complementary to the story and adds depth of meaning. This is an artist who knows how illustration works in picture books – and even places a silent, intriguing, visual narrative about a relationship between the ships cat and bird. The facial expressions and body language of all the characters draw you into the story. She is a serious artist with a wicked sense of humour that will delight all age groups.

Congratulations to both author and illustrator – I love this book – arrggghhh yeah !!!