Lighthouse Joey.

Things piratical seem to be back in fashion for younger readers. Close on the heels (or should it be the gums) of The Legend of Captain Crowe's Teeth by Eoin Colfer, we have Marie Burlington's Lighthouse Joey.

Joey, the hero of Lighthouse Joey, lives in a working lighthouse with his parents and his pet seagull, Skipper. He watches the ships come and go. He snuggles down warm and safe in bed when the weather is wild and cold. Danny, his friend, prefers to live in a house with a garden. Joey responds with the thought that the sea is his garden. But they are both in agreement as to the significance of an old key they find on the beach; a find that jump-starts the search for the legendary buried treasure of the pirate Jumping Jack. Dark caves, ghostly echoes, an unexplained pair of old boots stuck in the sand... What can it all mean? Will Joey and Danny solve the mystery and find the loot?

Young readers starting to explore books by themselves will be eager co-travellers through this excellent adventure tale with fine, clear illustrations by the author. I just wish that the one of the interior of the lighthouse had been spread over two pages to let us enjoy the detail. By the way, much as I hate to boast, I managed to find the panda hidden in the story.

Lighthouse Joey. Written and illustrated by Marie Burlington. O'Brien Pandas Number 33 €5.95. Ages 6 to 9

Tony Hickey