The Adventures of Piratess Tilly
- 2015 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Picture Books (Children's)
An enchanting and beautifully illustrated story features a young girl’s shipboard adventures.
The Adventures of Piratess Tilly is a beautifully put together picture book that uses haiku poetry to convey its story.
The book follows the Piratess Tilly as she navigates the seas with her brothers and rescues “a happy marsupial” called Koala Yuki. The illustrations are rich and inviting, from a large portrait of Koala Yuki as he draws on a nautical chart beneath the moon and stars, to a landscape of a port where Tilly and her brothers dock.
The addition of an unusual animal friend is sure to interest children, as are the varied and detailed pictures of Tilly’s world. At times, the haiku form of the story makes it hard to find a flow, as the text focuses less on one specific plot line and more on describing the different aspects of Tilly’s world.
The “piratess” aspect of Piratess Tilly is also not terribly strong—Tilly looks like any normal child, wearing patched jeans and a T-shirt, and she focuses more on studying nature than on climbing aboard ships, so children who were hoping for a more adventurous book may be disappointed.
Toward the end, the children do enjoy an adventure, though it feels hurried after the long setup of the rest of the book. Still, it fits in well with the themes and mood of the rest of the work, including its celebration of different types of animals.
The Adventures of Piratess Tilly is a charming work with gorgeous illustrations that young readers are sure to be entranced by. Though the use of haiku somewhat complicates the flow of the work, it adds another layer of interest to a cute and enchanting story.
Reviewed by
Stephanie Bucklin
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
