Seven Clever Pirates

PreS-Gr 4—Eric Ode makes quite a splash in his newest outing. This mini-musical tells the story of seven bumbling pirates aboard The Sea Slug who are set to sail the seas in search of treasure. Accompanying the pirates are Gretchen, whom the pirates refer to as a parrot but is actually a talking chicken, and Julie, a quick thinking, fearless girl who believes she has boarded a cruise ship bound for Norway where she is going to meet her grandmother. After setting sail, Julie realizes that she's on a pirate ship. When the pirates tell her about the treasure, she agrees to go on their adventure before they take her to Norway. Adventures abound with a storm, being thrown overboard, a shark threat, a volcano, and an encounter with the female pirate, Molly Mae, who just happens to be Julie's grandmother. With Molly, the crew searches for the treasure which turns out to be quite a surprise. Presented by a full cast who bring the well-drawn characters to life, listeners will be swept away by the multi-layered story featuring occasional puns that adults and older children will understand, while younger listeners will enjoy the silly pirates and their singing chicken. Ten original songs are expertly woven into the tale, moving the plot along. Listeners will have a rollicking good time.—Veronica Schwartz De Fazio, Plainfield Public Library District, IL