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19th out of 45 books
—
26 voters
Small Saul
From the creator of Binky the Space Cat, a hilarious story about an unconventional little pirate. Ahoy there! Will this sweet little pirate find his place aboard The Rusty Squid or will he be forced to walk the plank? When Small Saul joins the crew of The Rusty Squid, it doesn't take long for the other pirates to notice something is very different about this tiny fellow. H...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Kids Can Press
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When the navy won't take Small Saul, he turns to piracy to fill his need for the sea. While he could navigate, sing and swab the deck, Saul had trouble with looting and fighting. When it came time to find a real job, Small Saul knew he had to convince the other pirates he cared about the same things they did - the ship, being tough and treasure. His ways of doing so are completely different than how the other pirates do them. He decorates the inside of the ship and gets a rabbit tattoo. It is wh...more
Very funny!
Small Saul has dreamed of being in the Navy since he was a child but is turned away because he is too small. Plan B: enroll in Pirate College! After passing his classes of Intro the Swabbing the Deck, Treasure Map Interpretation, and Looting, Small Saul still found that he had a hard time fitting in. In the end, he finds a way to prove his worth and even the bloodthirsty, greedy pirates begin to appreciate Small Saul for who he is. This is a great book about individuality and fitting...more
Small Saul has dreamed of being in the Navy since he was a child but is turned away because he is too small. Plan B: enroll in Pirate College! After passing his classes of Intro the Swabbing the Deck, Treasure Map Interpretation, and Looting, Small Saul still found that he had a hard time fitting in. In the end, he finds a way to prove his worth and even the bloodthirsty, greedy pirates begin to appreciate Small Saul for who he is. This is a great book about individuality and fitting...more
The author of Binky the Space Cat returns with a brand new character for us to enjoy! Small Saul is not your regular pirate type, but he has known since he was small that he wanted to spend his life at sea. When the Navy turned him down because he was too short, Saul enrolled in Pirate College. Even in college, he didn’t fit in. He was great at singing shanties and less good at sword fighting. He wasn’t rough or tough, but he excelled at swabbing the deck. Finally, he had his pirate diploma and...more
Saul is born to be on the sea. But the Navy has a height requirement, and, well, he's Small Saul. So he goes to Pirate College, and works hard to become a good pirate, but with difficulty: he likes flowers, purple bunnies, and home decor, none of which impress his piratical colleagues much. But after pushing Saul overboard because of the purple bunnies and decorating, the pirates realize they don't actually like bedrooms that smell of feet and moldy decks, so they rescue Saul, and all live happi...more
Saul has always dreamed of a life at sea, so when he was old enough he tried to join the navy, only he wasn't big enough. "Fortunately, pirates aren't so picky, so he enrolled in Pirate College." I just love this book, and the illustrations are gorgeous as well as adding to the humour - the text may imply something, but the pictures really add extra detail. It wouldn't make a great audiobook, for example. There's just so much going on without being overwhelming. Like, in one picture there is the...more
Small Saul is a pirate in his own special way. After completing Pirate College, Saul joins a crew who doesn't appreciate his unique pirate ways. Instead of being rough and tough, Saul is thoughtful, clean, and cheerful. The captain throws Saul overboard and the ship quickly becomes its usual stinky, gross sea home for pirates. They return for Saul, finding him adrift in the ocean, and invite him to continue his civilized pirate ways as part of their crew.
I loved Saul's sweet bunny tattoo!
Recomm...more
I loved Saul's sweet bunny tattoo!
Recomm...more
Apr 13, 2011
Rebecca
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2011,
grade-1,
individuality-fiction,
kindergarten,
picture-book,
preschool,
pirates-fiction
Very fun read about Small Saul who isn't tall enough to make it into the Navy so opts for piracy instead.
He's not good at the rough and tough stuff such as Looting: the Basics, so it takes him awhile to earn his Pirate Diploma. After he's eventually taken aboard a ship, he works hard to make it neat and clean, homey and comfortable, with lots of gourmet food. He gets tossed overboard for his troubles. Will his pirate mateys miss the lad or will the scalawags let him drown in the briny sea? You'l...more
He's not good at the rough and tough stuff such as Looting: the Basics, so it takes him awhile to earn his Pirate Diploma. After he's eventually taken aboard a ship, he works hard to make it neat and clean, homey and comfortable, with lots of gourmet food. He gets tossed overboard for his troubles. Will his pirate mateys miss the lad or will the scalawags let him drown in the briny sea? You'l...more
The world can never have too many good pirate books, and this one is a treat. Too short to enlist in the navy, Saul goes to Pirate School instead, but somehow his heart just isn't into looting and pillaging. He's better a tidying up the ship and cooking tasty snacks than he is at swinging a cutlass. Even his pirate tattoo is...um...a bit different.
Can a ship full of bloodthirsty, greedy pirates come to appreciate Small Saul?
It's a good read for kids who want a pirate story, but an even better on...more
Can a ship full of bloodthirsty, greedy pirates come to appreciate Small Saul?
It's a good read for kids who want a pirate story, but an even better on...more
You can’t help adoring Small Saul. Too diminutive for Naval College, he settles for the less discriminating but also less prestigious Pirate College in order to pursue his lifelong love of the sea. On his first pirate ship, The Rusty Squid, he eagerly sets about his duties. Decorating pirates’ sleeping quarters, applying scary rabbit tattoos, cooking delicious food and providing breath fresheners to cover the smell of rotting teeth keep him busy but, disappointingly, unappreciated. When the crew...more
This was charming and clever--lots of details in the illustrations that add sly touches of humor. Saul was not your average pirate--he may not have been as cutthroat as his shipmates might have wanted, but they discover(after throwing him overboard)that he had other charms that they did not at first appreciate. A great misfits rule/follow your dream title, with enough chuckles and some gross out humor (can the spot the nose-picking pirate?) to wash down the message with ease.
Pirates are going to be BIG at our library this summer with the new Pirates of the Carribbean movie coming out and the Denver museum exhibit. I like this one a lot and its "it takes all kinds" message. Small Saul with his big glasses and his potted plant is very endearing!
This story of a small boy who wishes to live the sea-faring life and will take any job to get there doesn't make the best readaloud (you have to stop and explain the finely detailed pictures a lot in order to understand the story and the pictures are so small that groups find them difficult to see)but is well-received by students nevertheless. The message is good: everyone has a useful contribution to make in the world and should be appreciated.
4.5 stars for this one, if I could. Ashley Spires makes me snort a little bit. Love her "Binky the Space Cat" books, and now I love Small Saul. He's not your average pirate (he chose his tattoo from the Big Book of Bunny Tattoos and he adds flowered throw pillows to his shipmates' hammocks to make the place "a bit more homey") but he is eventually appreciated by his fellow buccaneers. A good one for the "be true to yourself" lesson.
Age of readership: 4-10
Genre: Picture Book
Diversity: Individuality and Peer Pressure
Illustrations: Quirky, smart drawings with humor throughout
My response to the book: I love this book!! The author show us that you can and should strive to be yourself no matter what pressures surround you in your journeys through life.
Curricular/Programming connections: Use in a group discussion with children about peer pressure and being true to yourself.
Genre: Picture Book
Diversity: Individuality and Peer Pressure
Illustrations: Quirky, smart drawings with humor throughout
My response to the book: I love this book!! The author show us that you can and should strive to be yourself no matter what pressures surround you in your journeys through life.
Curricular/Programming connections: Use in a group discussion with children about peer pressure and being true to yourself.
I picked this up while browsing the shelves at Ella Minnow Books.
I finished it because the story of Saul, finding his place in a hostile world is one that can be used in so many ways. The pictures helped to make this book so appealing.
I recommend this book to those who have a passion, and who won't give up on that passion even if it means "walking the plank."
I finished it because the story of Saul, finding his place in a hostile world is one that can be used in so many ways. The pictures helped to make this book so appealing.
I recommend this book to those who have a passion, and who won't give up on that passion even if it means "walking the plank."
Arrr! Saul wants to go to sea, but the Navy won't take him because he's too small. So he goes to pirate college and becomes a pirate. He's not very good at being a pirate and his efforts aren't appreciated by his crew until they throw him overboard and miss all the things he does for them.
Fun pictures, lots to look at, and a good story.
Fun pictures, lots to look at, and a good story.
Small Saul is too small for the Navy, so he goes to pirate school instead. And though he does things a little unconventionally, he passes pirate school and becomes a pirate. Again his unique side comes out and when the other pirates don't accept his ways, could it be the end of Small Saul?
Great book to teach children that they don't have to be anybody but who they are! They don't have to change to try to fit in. They just need to be themselves and they find their perfect fit in the world. However, didn't like some assumptions made in the book.
This book did not disappoint! What a great story about a small boy who wants to go to sea and decides to become a pirate. This is one of the most fun pirate books I've read in the children's room recently. Now I just need to work it into a story time...!
A cute "it's okay to be different" story with a piratey twist. Small Saul dreams of sailing the ocean blue, but when the Navy won't have him he becomes a pirate. Saul isn't your typical pirate, but he just might be the pirate "The Rusty Squid" needs.
I think this book is beyond "cute as a button," and nearly gets five stars! Okay, part of it is that the pirate theme is fun, and Small Saul strike a chord with me! Maybe the fact that it's August back-to-school time helps too. Pirate school?! Love it!
One word... HILARIOUS! Loved it! A must read! I used in conjunction with a QAR lesson I did earlier in the year with a 3rd grade class. I brought the book home and read it to my husband! It is that funny! Has a nice lesson too!
Small Saul was too small for the Navy, so he decided to be a pirate instead. But, he didn't act like the other pirates.
A story to show that good things really do come in small packages!
A story to show that good things really do come in small packages!
Saul is a little different then most pirates, but it turns out he's just right for the crew he's on, even if it takes them a while to realize it.
Yo-ho, yo-ho the pirate life for... Saul? While not exactly the quintessential pirate, what with his bunny tattoo and penchant for home decor, Saul wonders if the pirate life really is for him.
This book is about a wanna-be pirate who doesn't fit in with the other, tougher pirates. Themes: being different, resiliency, pirates.
This appealed to me. Enjoyed it although the ending while wrapping things up nicely wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
A very delightful book about how it's okay to be different. I love all of the ways that Saul tries to fit in and be a pirate.
We are all placed on this earth for a purpose! Small Saul is here to take care of others in his pirate-Y way!
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Ashley was born and raised in British Columbia where she resides still with her cats Gracie and Charlotte. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and a Graduate Diploma in Illustration from Sheridan College. In addition to her illustration, she founded Chicken Tika Creations (which she named after her dog, not the food) and is selling her hand felted items acro...more
More about Ashley Spires...
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