Every parent has told a bedtime story. Craig Darren Read went one-step further — he turned his four-year-old son into the hero of one.
His debut picture book, Dwayne and the Ocean Plug Pirates (Noble Legacy Publishing), published 16 September 2025, launched this September and has already sold 125 print copies in its first week. The book is inspired directly by Craig’s son Dwayne, whose boundless imagination and bedtime adventures shaped the character who saves the ocean from pirates.
The story begins when young Dwayne dreams his way into a magical underwater crisis. The sea has been drained because pirates have stolen the plug from the ocean floor. To restore the waves, Dwayne must solve riddles, outsmart jellyfish, and face the grumpy Captain Salty Beard. Along the way, he reminds everyone that the real treasure isn't gold or jewels, but the world we all share.
“The real treasure isn’t gold or jewels, but the world we all share.”
"I wanted to give...