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A delightful children's book, handwritten and illustrated by Mervyn Peake, though like all really good children's books, it can also be enjoyed by adults.
This book reflects Peake's lifelong love of pirates and islands, though it's really a simple story of friendship, fun and adventure. The Captain and his mate, Smear, bond partly over a shared joy of reading. One surprise is the lack of a peg-leg, given that Barquentine (in Gormenghast, which I reviewed HERE) and the eponymous Lost Uncle (my rev ...more
Return to the Pink Island
Down on the docks, I felt the pull
Of my first sailing trip abroad.
"Hear ye, my mates, from Istanbul,"
Said fearless Captain Slaughterboard
(I ask, what kind of name is that?)
"My ship, it’s called the Black Tiger"
(That's no name for a pussy cat!),
"I need fifty men inside her."
En route, we heard a husky voice,
Above the clamour of the band,
Billy Bottle, one of the boys:
"Hey, I've spotted a pink island."
Then we noticed all these creatures
Whose clothing was preposterous.
"Who a ...more
Down on the docks, I felt the pull
Of my first sailing trip abroad.
"Hear ye, my mates, from Istanbul,"
Said fearless Captain Slaughterboard
(I ask, what kind of name is that?)
"My ship, it’s called the Black Tiger"
(That's no name for a pussy cat!),
"I need fifty men inside her."
En route, we heard a husky voice,
Above the clamour of the band,
Billy Bottle, one of the boys:
"Hey, I've spotted a pink island."
Then we noticed all these creatures
Whose clothing was preposterous.
"Who a ...more
A bloodthirsty pirate and his horrific and deformed crew spend their days dealing death until they find an uncharted island populated by diverse purple creatures. The captain becomes obsessed with the sole Yellow Creature. This weird story made even weirder by the outre illustrations of Mervyn Peake. The text is also handwritten by Peake.
An interesting but brief end note by one of Peake's sons says that he made it up for his kids during the years they lived in primitive conditions in the Channel ...more
An interesting but brief end note by one of Peake's sons says that he made it up for his kids during the years they lived in primitive conditions in the Channel ...more
What an odd children's book... yet, oddly wonderful with amazing artwork.
Only an unrestrained imagination like Peake's could conjure something with this blend of weirdness and charm, while still being suitable for children.
...more
Only an unrestrained imagination like Peake's could conjure something with this blend of weirdness and charm, while still being suitable for children.
...more
Dec 01, 2017
Vian
marked it as to-read
