My Granny Is a Pirate

Its strongest shared-reading features are the easy-to-say verse, colourful pictures and comic visual details. Granny’s unusual role also invites children to imagine familiar relatives in unexpected, adventurous ways.

The book includes pirate capture, walking the plank, skeletons, treasure conflict and pirate features such as sharp teeth, tattoos, a hook and an eye patch. These are framed as comic fantasy, but reactions may differ.

Ask whether the pirate scenes feel exciting, funny or unsettling, and what makes them feel that way. You could also discuss how Granny can be both adventurous at sea and recognisably herself at home.

Read it aloud first, pausing to enjoy the rhyme and let the child inspect the pictures. If skeletons or pirate features cause concern, name them as make-believe and allow the child to skip or revisit those pages.