Ned Feldman, space pirate Book

Ned Feldman is just a typical kid. Maybe he's the little guy who lives next door. Maybe he's the dorky nephew with a penchant for drawing space aliens. Heck, maybe he's you.

But as far as that goes, Ned Feldman remains one of the more memorable (if sadly obscure) characters in modern children's literature. He does nothing in particular to stand out, other than his colourful rendering of intergalactic battles alongside his abominably handwritten school essays. Yet somehow, he is incredibly endearing.

Ned Feldman, Space Pirate brings the titular character face to face with a bona fide space pirate who just happens to shore his spacecraft where the Feldmans' kitchen sink is located. Upon investigation, Ned finds himself journeying through unknown portions of the Universe, facing battle (of sorts, anyway) with giant Space Chickens, and the scariest Yeti ever. ("Not only was it the scariest thing I had ever seen in real life, it was also the scariest thing I had ever seen on TV or in a movie, or in an ad for a movie I was not allowed to see because it was too scary. It was also the scariest thing I had ever heard of or imagined.")

In addition to the story come illustrations (drawn by author Daniel Pinkwater himself) reflective of little Ned Feldman's own works of art. The story cannot be read without admiring - and giggling at - the goofy expressions given to the characters.

Ned Feldman, Space Pirate is nothing short of sheer fun. It doesn't pretend to moralize or educate. But for a brief escape from the mundane, this exceptionally funny book blasts past the doldrums or daily life and lets the imagination of a child become a part of us all once more.

A more enjoyable children's book would be a rarity. This one is fantastic.