The summer holidays have begun and Pont Books are delighted to introduce The Gardening Pirates to children across the country.

On board the bad ship Ych-a-fi, times are hard and cruel Captain Cranc forces the crew to eat horrible ship’s biscuits while he is fed on octopus pies and squid omelettes.   

One day, the pirates land on an island and follow Captain Cranc in search of treasure. But when they find the treasure chest, there is no gold – the chest is filled with seeds, bags of compost and gardening tools…

Without anybody noticing, cabin girl, Gwen smuggles the treasure back to the ship and secretly plants the vegetable seeds in the crow’s nest so that the pirates can have delicious and healthy meals. How will Captain Cranc react when he finds out? And what about the mysterious seed sowed in Gwen’s hat?

Chris Glynn’s wonderful illustrations add visual humour to the text and bring the story to life. It is a story to gladden the hearts of all seafarers and gardeners as good triumphs over bad when eventually Gwen becomes captain and Captain Cranc becomes the cabin boy.

This delightful picture book is the brainchild of author Ruth Morgan who worked with her partner, Chris Glynn, to develop the story. Ruth is an experienced author of books for children of all ages, from picture books for toddlers to teenage novels. She currently teaches in Penarth where she also lives . . . and gardens although, unlike Gwen, Ruth’s kitchen garden is firmly based on dry land. Chris is BA programme director at Cardiff School of Art and Design, UWIC, and is well-known as an illustrator, artist and animator.

The Gardening Pirates is available from all good bookshops and online retailers