Captain Sneer the Buccaneer is a great story written by Penny Morrison and Illustrated by Gabriel Evans. It is a fun book about a pirate trying to be brave while looking for gold. It is well-written, rhymes and uses anticipation very well.
However I felt the book was spoiled by the dark illustrations which didn’t reflect the light-hearted nature of the writing. The illustrations were well-drawn but the colouring was gloomy. At the critical moment of the story the details in the picture are almost obscured by the dull hues. Many young children may miss the point in regard to Captain Sneer’s mother. However for older children this might not be such a problem, as they are better equipped to realize the humour of the situation.
Overall this is still a good book, but could have been improved with lighter, brighter illustrations.
