posted on 24 Oct 2017

Pirates in Classroom 3 by Alison Donald, illustrated by Ben Whitehouse

It seems that there can never be enough children’s books about pirates but this one is a bit different. I love the powerful anarchic message on the front cover of this exuberantly colourful picture book. Not only is there a jolly looking pirate with a treasure map at the centre of the page surrounded by five eager children, but the wooden sign above them includes familiar comic book graffiti ‘ kids rule’ and ‘ I woz here’.

So how did the pirate get to be in what looks like a very ordinary classroom? The story begins with a double page spread showing classroom chaos when Ms Bitsy the teacher leaves the room – has she run out because of the mayhem or has it just erupted? Everyone looks very happy as Alex and his friends race around getting paint on the floor and even drawing on the walls! I can almost hear children reading this book with their teachers and being encouraged to express outrage whilst secretly being a bit jealous of the freedom.

But everything stops when there is a ‘THUD’ and a menacing pirate shaped shadow tapping with his hooked hand appears at the window.  In comes the very genial Captain Calamity and explains that he is searching for treasure (no need for DBS checks in this fictional school as otherwise we would get nowhere)! It appears that he has been given clear instructions that:

 

 

‘In classroom 3

 Under the sea

Is where the treasure will be’

The children agree to help him because otherwise it might be found first by Captain Bloodloss  whose gruesome name suggests that he is ‘ A REALLY mean and scarey pirate’. They proceed to make a comprehensive and pleasingly alliterative search and ’rummaged through the reading corner, sifted and strained the sand and burrowed through the building blocks’ but with no luck.

Of course they do find it eventually and much to everyone’s surprise it appears that there is indeed a sea underneath the floorboards! Ms Bitsy returns at this point but she doesn’t tell them off or try to impose order but instead dives with them all down into the sea.  The treasure chest full of gold coins  is duly found and they return back to the classroom only to find Captain Bloodloss demanding to take it from them. But this is a classroom that does not allow bullying of any kind and so when the fearsome Ms Bitsy threatens to tell his parents, Captain Bloodloss is suitably scared and scarpers. The last double page spread give us another surprise because it seems that there is even more treasure to be found in classroom 3 and the pure joy on all their faces is delightful.

This story will make children laugh and perhaps reflect on whether their own teachers would react in a similar way to the unexpected classroom guest – lots of potential discussion here as well as plenty of opportunity for doing real treasure hunts and making links with other pirate stories. It is the second adventure from the author, Alison Donald who had success with ‘The New LiBEARian’ which introduced another unconventional slant on a familiar environment.   The real star of ‘Pirates in Classroom 3’ is the teacher with her colourfully trendy clothes, blue hair and beaded necklace which is perhaps a reference to another strong fictional woman, Marge Simpson.  I like the way in which we get a hint of a burgeoning relationship between her and Captain Calamity at the very end when she invites him to ‘Call me Daphne’. This reminds me of the endings to films like ‘Shrek’ and ‘Toy Story’ and it is no surprise that the talented illustrator, Ben Whitehouse has a background in film animation. I predict that this imaginative picture book will be a big hit with children and adults alike.

Karen Argent

October 2017