Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "walk-the-plank"

The Grumpy Pirate by Corinne Demas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Pirates smile. They shout “Aye aye.” They do their chores. Well, almost all pirates. There’s one who’s not a team player. He complains and pouts and avoids chores whenever he can. His name? Grumpy Gus, and the rest of the crew has had enough! They want action or they’ll walk the plank. The wise and sly pirate queen understands. Rather than scold, she gives Grumpy Gus a special friend, who soon teaches him that grumpy and pirate don’t go hand in hand.

Geared toward young pirates between the ages of three and five, this is a delightful book for teaching an inventive way to resolve a problem and change an attitude. The pirate queen’s answer to near mutiny is unique and fresh; it’s also one that children will readily identify with and enjoy parroting. The large illustrations are bright, colorful, and easy to see. The infectious rhyming text invites places where listeners can participate as someone reads the story. Anstee does a marvelous job of incorporating differences into the pirate crew, not just in color but also disabilities, sexes, ages, and sizes. There’s even a crab with a hook for one claw. Young pirates will also enjoy perusing the pictures to spy surprises, such as Grumpy Gus’s pirate underwear. Great fun for young and old pirates alike.




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