It's always exciting when you find that the author of a book you highly approve of has something in common with you. Like Brett Helquist! We share the same home state! He graduated from a favorite college of mine! And well, what do you know, he is also the illustrator of the best-selling Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. (The things you can learn from the back jacket: amazing).Roger doesn't scowl, he smiles; he doesn't growl, he grins. He is a jolly pirate. Unfortunately, that's pretty unpopular with the other pirates. To make matters worse, he doesn't know the larward from the starboard, or the mizzard from the main! To make amends, Roger tries to make a cake and make it up to them...and well, his baking skills are right in line with his pirating skills--and a baking catastrophe ensues. Luckily for Roger, this mistake benefits his ship, and the other pirates no longer complain but celebrate him--permanently!
If you have a pirate lover I don't think you can go wrong with this book, and who doesn't care even just a little for pirates? I've noticed amongst the many pirate picture books out there, some are just a little too...well.. jolly to be about pirates. Afterall, pirates are criminals! But Roger, the Jolly Pirate
strikes a great balance for children with the lovable Roger and the villanous crew. Plus there's a pirate ditty to belt at the end, and a plot to boot (phew)! Perhaps it's not necessary to mention, since Helquist illustrated a best-selling series, but really-- the illustrations are noteworthy!
2 comments:
This one does look good! And it reminds me of this great picture I have of my normally jolly son letting forth a roar of "AAAARRRGGHH" for the camera in his pirate costume. (Something about having a cutlass does that.)
Pirates are a little tricky. They're thieves and villains and rogues, and yet everybody wants to dress up like a pirate and pretend pirates. This picture book does sound as if it strikes a good balance.
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