Rufus Goes to Sea

PreS-Gr 2—The adorable pig from Rufus Goes to School (2013, Sterling) is back. It's summer vacation, and Rufus wants nothing more than to be a pirate over the break. Unfortunately, much like the principal at Rufus's school, the pirate captain must be taught to overlook preconceived notions of what having a pig in his midst entails. After being denied cleaning and cooking positions, Rufus hits on what the pirate ship truly needs: a literate pirate. What a coincidence! The little pig with a pirate book in his backpack is a perfect fit. Rufus helps the pirates read their treasure map, teaches them their letters, and helps them enjoy their ultimate treasure: a chest of books. The story and artwork are wonderfully matched. The writing is simple and repetitive enough to appeal to the preschool crowd while still including pirate speak and pirate terms for lower elementary readers. The ink and watercolor illustrations are warm and friendly (no scary pirates here) yet also include some clever prediction-making clues.