Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell are possibly my favourite storyteller/illustrator combination. I heard Neil read Pirate Stew at his show in Perth last February, just before the world went mad, and I knew without question that Chris’ illustrations would be perfect. I was not wrong. A delightful tale of 2 siblings whose babysitters turn out to be pirates, and when dinner time arrives, their go-to recipe is for the eponymous pirate stew. The only problem? When you eat pirate stew, you become a pirate too! This is not what the children want, do they avoid consuming the concoction – but they do go on an epic piratical adventure! A jolly delight.