Archive for August 22, 2016

Pirate’s Perfect Pet

Written by Beth Ferry
Illustrated by Matt Myers

Just what does a pirate need to be a pirate? As this innovative and humorous story unfolds, the reader finds it may not be as simple as it sounds. The captain receives a note (by bottle) from his mother instructing him in proper pirate etiquette. He has it all under control, except for a peg leg and an appropriate pet. His crew sets out in search of a pet and hitting all the wrong places. The beach has crabs and octopuses (octopi?). Farm animals try to hide from the pirates. And pigs are too muddy. The farmer carts them to the zoon on his tractor, but the koalas are too cuddly. An added bonus is the lion causes a need for a peg leg. The zoo trolley leaves them at the pet emporium, where they reject pet after pet. (“Shiver me Shih Tzu!”) A squawk overhead reveals the inevitable parrot. With one last play on words, the parrot becomes the perfect pet.

The illustrations for this work are beyond hilarious. The main character is the stereotypical pirate, but no one else really fits the mold: female with eye patch and high heels, older guy in bunny slippers, fattened up lion, and anachronisms galore.

The only surprise after reading this book would be if a third grader weren’t thoroughly delighted and entertained. Younger kids would enjoy the fun, but repeated reading will give third graders the chance to practice literacy skills.

Buy on Amazon

  • Pirates Perfect PetTitle: Pirate’s Perfect Pet
  • Author: Beth Ferry
  • Illustrator: Matt Myers
  • Publisher: Candlewick, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: PreK to 3
  • Genre: Picture Book, Humor
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-7288-1

 

Slingshot and Burp

Written by Richard Haynes
Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

Two rootin’ tootin’ cowboys roam the Wild West in this cute tale brimming with fun and imagination. When double cousins strike out from the bunk house (play house) on their horses (bikes), they’re looking for adventure and a skeleton in the Boneyard. Their first stop is Big Jim’s Boots and Saddle Tack Shop for provisions and information. Big Jim is full of information, but we’re not sure how much of it is accurate. The boys discover their older sisters have taken over the bunk house and pink-ified it in their absence. The boys visit the Boneyard and find a skull and a spitting horny toad. They do not find the ghost Big Jim spoke of. Back at the ranch, they sleep under the stars and a cottonwood tree with a part-coyote pup. When the pup takes off, the boys are forced to search the Boneyard – at night and despite the Ghost Cat. They get lost and fall into quicksand (sort of). Of course, everything turns out right for the cowboys and Calamity Kate and Ma McKenzie.

Action-filled illustrations accompany the fast-moving story and help explain the finer points. The reader would almost swear they’re in the Old West.

Third graders, especially boys, will get a lot of enjoyment and practice with literacy skills from this premier novel. We can only hope for more from this team.

Buy on Amazon

  • Slingshot and BurpTitle: Slingshot and Burp
  • Author: Richard Haynes
  • Illustrator: Stephen Gilpin
  • Publisher: Candlewick, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 112 pages
  • Grade Level: 1 to 4
  • Genre: Chapter Book, Humor
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-7076-4