Pugwash the Smuggler

JOHN RYAN was born in Edinburgh and spent his early childhood in Turkey and Morocco before moving to England, where he worked for seven years as Assistant Art Master of Harrow School. Captain Pugwash first set sail over 50 years ago as a strip cartoon. Since then he has featured in books, films and theatres all over the world. Now living in Rye, Kent, the home of smugglers in years gone by, John lives with his wife Priscilla, who is also an artist. He has three children and a regular crew of grandchildren.

The stories are wonderfully told: simple, clear language that stays on course... and of course the illustrations are so enduringly distinctive, with Pugwash of the late Pavarotti-like proportions. Book Magazine Ryan's story is fast moving, funny, and liberally sprinkled with his own brand of comic seafaring expletives. Swirling around and between sections of narrative are his splendidly distinctive cartoon illustrations - bold, brightly coloured and filled with movement and detail. Pugwash and the Sea Monster displays an extensive range of the techniques which Ryan devised to progress his narrative action across a spread, from full page illustrations of the event on the page to maps, and from individual portraits of the characters to comic-strip extensions of the text itself. For readers and listeners alike the illustrations provide much of the detail and humour of the story, and can be 'read' as enjoyably as can the text. This is splendid stuff, which demonstrates clearly why books will never be surpassed by other media. Ibby Link A fun way for your young readers to discover the joys of the famous seafarer and find out why generations of fans love the watery adventures. Coventry Telegraph