Best-selling author Liz Kessler makes her first foray into early fiction with a funny tale about an aspiring pirate dog who is afraid of boats.

Poppy the dalmatian can’t wait to go on a seaside vacation with her family. And when they tie a skull-and-crossbones scarf around her neck, she’s sure a pirate’s life of adventure on the open seas awaits. But to be a pirate dog, Poppy must find her perfect pirate ship. Unfortunately, boats bob up and down a lot. Waves splash over the side. Strange creatures live in the water. After trying — and failing — to be a brave pirate dog on a fishing boat, a seal-spotting cruise, a pedal boat, and a speedboat, Poppy has almost given up. Will she manage to find her pirate ship before the family heads back home? From New York Times best-selling author Liz Kessler comes a full-color early reader for adventurous young scalawags and their pirate pooches.