Hal The Pirate (June Crebbin, Polly Dunbar)

Hal the Pirate is part of Walker Starters, the wonderfully fun and friendly series for beginner readers. "Yo ho the billy-o, a pirate's life for me!" But is it really a pirate's life for Hal, who gets seasick, falls overboard (a lot), and doesn't know his west from his east? This is a charming story with a twist at the end, told through a range of writing styles, including hand-lettered speech bubbles and diary entries. The illustrations, which appear on every page, are lively and stylish, and play an active part in helping children understand the text.