Read a tale, spin a yarn

It’s time for scallywags to gather round and listen to a tale of adventures on the high seas with Nosy Crow’s pop-up book and play mat, “Playbook Pirates”! Recommended for buccaneers ages 3–7, the sweet book has fantastic 3D structures — such as a pirate ship, octopus, and lighthouse — created by paper engineer Corina Fletcher and artist Britta Teckentrup. The book can be unfolded to lay flat on the floor, transforming it into a mat where your jolly marauder can imagine adventures with the enclosed free-standing pirates, rowboat, and sea creatures. When it’s time to pull up the anchor and tidy up, the play pieces and book can be stowed away in its sturdy storage box where it will stay shipshape till the next voyage.

“Playbook Pirates” by Corina Fletcher and Britta Teckentrup, $24, www.amazon.com.