FICTION

Are You the Pirate Captain?

by Gareth P. JONES
Are You the Pirate Captain? illus. by Garry Parsons. 32p. ebook available. Andersen. Mar. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781512404272.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—First mate Hugh has readied his vessel and even tidied up his motley crew. Now, all he needs is a captain to lead them all on an ocean adventure. From the crow's nest he spots his first potential candidate, a promising fellow with a hook for a left hand. Upon closer inspection, though, "the man [says], 'I'm no pirate. This here's a pleasure boat. And what you took to be a hook is a hanger for my coat.'" Further disappointments like a potential treasure map-turned-shopping list threaten to derail the determined Hugh until one legitimate swashbuckler points out that Hugh has already been an exceptional leader and should promote himself. Parsons's humorous artwork is full of seafaring details and is as colorful as Jones's pirate vernacular.
VERDICT This adventure will please pirate-loving listeners and has the added bonus of a subtle message that a true leader puts in the work first.
Reviewed by Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH
A pirate crew ready for a sea-faring adventure seeks a captain. Young Hugh asks various townspeople who seem to fit the bill; "Are you the Pirate Captain?" But no one is quite right. Finally, the pirates realize that Hugh is the captain they've been searching for. The rhyming text stumbles in places, but the feisty illustrations are sea-worthy. Two sea shanties are included.
 , Mar 01, 2016

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