Along with Ditherus Wart, (Accidental) Gladiator , this book marks the start of a new series for readers of seven or eight and up; two more are due out in September.

The stories revolve around the misfortunes, in various eras, of younger members of the hapless Wart family. Bloomsbury describes them as Blackadder meets Horrible Histories , which is pretty much spot on, although there are no sardonic undercurrents and the endings are happy. The pirates who kidnap Custardly and his classmates, for example, are good-hearted bumblers with a penchant for chocolate biscuits.