Tuesday Storytime: Arrrr, Pirates!

There are a lot of pirate books out there, and it's always fun to read through them, and try to find ones that are short enough, funny enough, and different enough from each other to do an entire storytime.

How I Became a Pirate

Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon (Nicholas Pipe)

ISBN: 0152018484

The No, David! illustrator graphically (and sometimes grossly) caricatures ebullient pirates.

Jeremy Jacob is on the beach, digging a moat, minding his own business, when Braid Beard the pirate (love that name) swoops in, declares him a perfect digger for their treasure, and sweeps him off onto a pirate ship for adventures all day long.  No parents, no manners, no vegetables!  It's all fun and games until bedtime, where there's no story, no tucking in, and no goodnight kiss - and that's all before the giant storm that everyone's too busy to comfort him about!  Inspiration strikes, and Jeremy Jacob manages to get back home, and do the pirates a favor into the bargain.

The Night Pirates

Peter Harris, illustrated by Deborah Allwright

ISBN: 9780439799591

Lucky Tom gets to tag along with a pirate crew of little girls as they stealthily steal a treasure.  

Awake one moonlit night, Tom notices a band of pirates (little girl pirates!) stealing the front of his house as a disguise.  He tags along on a fairly straightforward short jaunt to a pirate island, where the grown-up pirates are routed, treasure stolen, and little girls return Tom (and the front of his house) back home safely.  Very interesting artwork - sort of collage-like with different paper patterns and textures with superimposed figures.

A Pirate's Guide to First Grade

James Preller, illustrated by Greg Ruth

ISBN: 9780312369286

Ghostly "imaginary" mateys accompany this young swab to his first day of school, narrated in pirate.

I love the "pirate" narration, and the illustrations are clear and open enough to carry the meaning when the words don't make sense to the little ones.  I love that the imaginary mateys are enthusiastic adults.  I love his green jolly-roger shirt, and "Old Silver" the Captain (teacher).  The characters are diverse without seeming to be effortful, the day progresses quickly, and the text is minimal (printed in "piratical" font, but in a larger-than-normal size to make reading to a group easier).  Really fun to read, and an excellently inventive concept that really stands out from the crowd of pirate fare.