Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "piper"

The Jolley-Rogers and the Pirate Piper by Jonny Duddle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Once again trouble sails into Dull-on-Sea late at night. While the harbormaster dozes, thousands of rats infest the town. The next morning, they perch on window sills. They munch on crumbs. They infest the laundry. Everywhere the residents look, rats are to be found.

During this infestation, the Jolley-Rogers are at sea. Grandpa has given Nugget a gift she has long yearned to own – a fiddle. From dawn to dusk she practices, while everyone else finds something else to do. Jim Lad dons headphones to listen to loud music. Dad repairs the ship, while Mom relaxes in the crow’s nest. Which is where she hears a news report about Dull-on-Sea’s problem. So off they sail to investigate.

Matilda loves seeing her friends again, but she’s particularly fascinated by Nugget’s music. So are the other children of Dull-on-Sea. An emergency meeting interrupts the makeshift concert and everyone repairs to the townhall. As a discussion ensues, Captain Horatio Rattus strolls into their midst and offers to rid the townspeople of the rats . . . for a price. Everyone agrees, including the stingy mayor. Without further ado, Captain Rattus begins playing a hypnotic tune on his pipe. From every rafter, nook, and cranny, the rats emerge and follow the captain onto his ship where he leads them into a crate, which he promises to dump into the sea far away from Dull-on-Sea.

Later, Captain Rattus returns to collect the money owed him. But the mayor reneges on his promise. Double-crossing Rattus isn’t wise – a lesson he soon teaches to the mayor and every other parent in town. Once the sun sets, he plays his pipes; instead of rats, it’s the children who follow him this time. The next morning only one child awakens.

Matilda had recorded Nugget’s fiddling and used it to lull her to sleep. Her parents insist she carry out her usual routine, but what fun is it when she’s the only one in school and all the adults give her funny looks? Determined to solve the mystery, she enlists Jim Lad’s help. While finding the children proves a simple thing, removing Captain Rattus’s spell will be much harder to do. Based on his tactics after the rat infestation, he’s not about to allow Matilda to ruin his plans. If she’s going to outsmart this villain, she’ll need the help of others – and Nugget is key to her plan’s success.

This latest adventure of the Jolley-Rogers is tale spinning at its best with a new take on an old story. The illustrations captivate and the characters beg you to cheer or boo as you wend your way through riveting twists and turns. Matilda and Jim Lad take a backseat to Nugget, who finally shines center stage. What’s left to your imagination is the sound of Nugget’s music. Is she a budding star as the children seem to think, or does her fiddle really sound like “a kraken pullin’ the gizzards from a mermaid?” This delightful chapter book will soon become a favorite of pirates young and old.




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