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Murray and Bun! #3
Murray the Pirate
Escape through the magic cat flap and join your new favorite cat and bunny duo as they face off against a grumpy pirate captain, uncover a secret treasure map, and attempt to escape MONSTER ISLAND. Fans of Bad Guys will giggle their way through this illustrated and purr-fectly charming chapter book series.
Murray is a cat. He loves naps and blankets and snacks.
Bun is a bunny. He loves…EVERYTHING!
They have a magic cat flap. Sometimes it leads to the garden, but mostly it leads to…ADVENTURE!
When Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap, they find themselves in a land of PIRATES! It's high stakes on the high seas when Murray and Bun are kidnapped by the dreaded pirate Captain Patch. And once they discover a secret map that takes them to MONSTER ISLAND, it's up to Murray and Bun to dig up the buried treasure--or risk walking the plank.
Award-winning author-illustrator Adam Stower sails straight into hijinks in this humorous illustrated series. And don't miss the bonus content that includes a postcard from Murray, Murray's Family Album, and much more!
“Hilarious … A joy to read whatever your age” – David Walliams
Murray is a cat. He loves naps and blankets and snacks.
Bun is a bunny. He loves…EVERYTHING!
They have a magic cat flap. Sometimes it leads to the garden, but mostly it leads to…ADVENTURE!
When Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap, they find themselves in a land of PIRATES! It's high stakes on the high seas when Murray and Bun are kidnapped by the dreaded pirate Captain Patch. And once they discover a secret map that takes them to MONSTER ISLAND, it's up to Murray and Bun to dig up the buried treasure--or risk walking the plank.
Award-winning author-illustrator Adam Stower sails straight into hijinks in this humorous illustrated series. And don't miss the bonus content that includes a postcard from Murray, Murray's Family Album, and much more!
“Hilarious … A joy to read whatever your age” – David Walliams
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 20, 2026
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Adam Stower
133 books34 followersAdam completed a BA in Illustration at Norwich and an MA in Narrative Illustration at Brighton where he now lives and works. Adam is now represented by Arena agency.
Adam has a passion for drawing and a great love of traditional illustration. He specialises in fiction for children, editorial, character development and product design.
from http://www.worldofadam.com/main.htm
Adam has a passion for drawing and a great love of traditional illustration. He specialises in fiction for children, editorial, character development and product design.
from http://www.worldofadam.com/main.htm
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 9, 2025
I love this series so much, it is always so sweet and the illustrations are lovely. I have always been a big fan of pirates so this one might be my personal favourite! Cannot wait for number 4!
October 3, 2025
Murray is woken one day by his best friend Bun sneezing loudly. So loudly and strongly that Bun is flying around the kitchen. When he wakes up properly, Murray can see Wizard Fumblethumb has been practising his (rubbish) magic again, and the kitchen is filled with grass and flowers.
Bun’s hayfever is rife and another giant sneeze propels them both out of Murray’s cat flap….
Pa-Pooof!
They find themselves in a seaside village market. Smells of fish fill Murray’s nose, and before he knows it, a villager is giving him a lovely big breakfast. Another villager approaches with something yummy, then another and another! He can’t believe his luck!
Murray has wonderful manners and thanks them all with wonder, not realising they think he is someone else. Before he can even take a bite of his juicy, fresh fish, he and Bun are bundled into a bag and kidnapped!
When finally emerging from the sack, they are face to face with fierce pirates, who are mortified that the villagers thought Murray was one of them. Especially after all the polite things he said as he received his tasty gifts. It will NOT do! He and Bun must walk the plank!
But Bun is a special bunny, and soon the tide has turned. Murray and Bun are soon helping hatch a plan to please the pirates. This involves, gold, other treasures and a monster called Margaret.
Just as in the 1st two books in the series, Murray the Viking and Murray the Knight – Murray the Pirate begins with an introduction of Murray, Bun and a rubbish wizard called Fumblethumb.
The new adventure soon begins with Murray and his tiny sticky rabbit friend, zapping back in history. Murray is a calm kind of cat, and not much fazes him, except maybe an empty tum. Bun is always on hand to help, and I love the way he says his one word, ‘Bun,’ and how Murray interprets it.
As always there are laughs aplenty during this piratey adventure, with the illustrations often telling the story on their own.
One of my favourite funny junior chapter series.
Bun’s hayfever is rife and another giant sneeze propels them both out of Murray’s cat flap….
Pa-Pooof!
They find themselves in a seaside village market. Smells of fish fill Murray’s nose, and before he knows it, a villager is giving him a lovely big breakfast. Another villager approaches with something yummy, then another and another! He can’t believe his luck!
Murray has wonderful manners and thanks them all with wonder, not realising they think he is someone else. Before he can even take a bite of his juicy, fresh fish, he and Bun are bundled into a bag and kidnapped!
When finally emerging from the sack, they are face to face with fierce pirates, who are mortified that the villagers thought Murray was one of them. Especially after all the polite things he said as he received his tasty gifts. It will NOT do! He and Bun must walk the plank!
But Bun is a special bunny, and soon the tide has turned. Murray and Bun are soon helping hatch a plan to please the pirates. This involves, gold, other treasures and a monster called Margaret.
Just as in the 1st two books in the series, Murray the Viking and Murray the Knight – Murray the Pirate begins with an introduction of Murray, Bun and a rubbish wizard called Fumblethumb.
The new adventure soon begins with Murray and his tiny sticky rabbit friend, zapping back in history. Murray is a calm kind of cat, and not much fazes him, except maybe an empty tum. Bun is always on hand to help, and I love the way he says his one word, ‘Bun,’ and how Murray interprets it.
As always there are laughs aplenty during this piratey adventure, with the illustrations often telling the story on their own.
One of my favourite funny junior chapter series.
February 12, 2026
Murray, a sweet couch-potato, and his enchanted companion Bun, formerly a sweet bun but now a sticky rabbit with a candied cherry in place of a cottontail, continue their adventures through the wizard Fumblethumb’s magical cat flap in this latest installment of Adam Stower’s humorous series. Here the food-obsessed feline ends up on a pirate ship. At first the crew comes across as a bit hostile, but Murray helps them understand that none of them are really happy with the current state of affairs; Captain Patch actually dreams of opening a flower shop, if only he had the gold to pay back all his former victims! With the help of Murray and Bun, the pirates locate a monster’s treasure and agree to supply the creature (Margaret) with a lifetime supply of fish in exchange for the loot, leaving everyone happy. Once again, the story’s 180 pages read very quickly, with Stower’s loose and hilarious grayscale illustrations making up the bulk of the book’s content. Many sections feature just two or three sentences per page, and some—particularly the visual gags—unfold across several pages with no text at all. The diverse pirate crew includes people of various genders and skin tones, all with colorful and goofy names, such as Poopdeck Pete, Gunpowder Lil, and Biscuit Bill. A section called “Bun’s Bonus Bits” closes out the book, with instructions on how to draw a sea monster, a page from Murray’s infamous family photo album, and a diary entry-style epilogue from the reformed Captain, now the proud owner of The Flower Patch. With its adorable illustrations, gentle pacing, and twee sense of humor, this series will be a hit with young readers while adults looking for milder content will appreciate its whimsy. Each volume opens with a recap of Murray and Bun’s backstory, so the books can be read in any order. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
August 12, 2025
This is a delightful romp into silly adventures with pirates and a sticky bun-turned rabbit named Bun. I found myself smiling along with all of Murray's antics, and loved the names of the pirates and the way the author used humor with pauses, indecipherable language from Bun, and absurd scenarios to really up the laughs. I plan to read this with my kids when it is published. It is perfect for transitional readers who like illustrations, and the illustrations add to the humor, so it's great for all ages. It would also make a good read aloud for pre-k children who have more stamina and want to listen to an illustrated chapter book.
October 25, 2025
This was a fun read and the illustrations were the cutest. The action was fun and the story was great. Murray the cat is always wanting a snack and Bun who is a sticky bun turned rabbit is always just bouncing around getting into mischief. They are the perfect duo and the story was fast read.
Thanks to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
February 11, 2025
The third in this fun series just right for beginner readers . The way jokes are built up over several pages is masterly and made me giggle several times. Murray the cat’s pet, Bun (so called because he started life as a sticky bun before being turned into a rabbit) is very cute & clever too, if only his feline master would listen to him!
October 16, 2025
I laughed from start to finish! This volume is awesome. The lead pirate has a penguin on his shoulder instead of a parrot. No one wants to be a pirate, they would all rather just fish (or be a florist!), there is a monster. Murray and Bun seem like they are having a great time. Probably the best volume in the series so far!
February 16, 2025
I love this series. Murray and his magic cat flap of adventure takes him to a land of pirates! He has to walk the plank, fight monsters and runs into some other pirates! This was fun and cute. I love the illustrations too. Excited for more!
February 25, 2025
I love them so so much
January 11, 2026
Murray’s Family Album makes a funny and adorable bonus after the story and shows off the ancestors he references in the story.
January 22, 2026
Oodles and oodles of pirate and treasure fun! I just flew through this book in one go, so much fun!
Review to come March!
Review to come March!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews