Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "santiago-of-the-seas"

A Pirate Christmas! by Random House

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


On Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), Santiago Montes, his sister Tina, his cousin Tómas, friend Lorelai, and Kiko (Santiago’s pet frog) have a campout to await Santa’s arrival. All should go well, but Santiago’s magic compass warns that Santa needs their help.

Enrique Réal de Palacios has had enough. He’s tired of being on Santa’s naughty list. He wants to get presents just like the other children. And this Christmas Eve, he makes that wish come true. He stops Santa’s sleigh and steals all the presents, taking them back to his ice castle.

Santiago and his friends must intervene and save Christmas. At the same time, perhaps Enrique will discover the true meaning of the holiday.

This is a sturdy board book for children, that serves either as an introduction to Nickelodeon’s Santiago of the Seas animated series or as a treasure for when fans can’t get enough. The pictures are boldly colorful and expressive. They easily encapsulate the tale even if young pirates haven’t yet mastered reading on their own. The text combines English and Spanish, as well as Hispanic culture. Unfortunately, the story is told more than shown, but for young pirates this won’t matter much. It includes many of the tropes from the show, although this time their vehicle is Santa’s magic sleigh rather than a pirate ship. A Pirate Christmas is a simple tale that teaches valuable lessons in a fun way.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/childrens1...)



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(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/childrens1...)