Captain Pugwash: A Pirate Story

Captain Pugwash

by John Ryan

Captain Pugwash is the bravest and most handsome pirate on the seven seas. So when his trusty cabin boy Tom spots some jewels, Pugwash is sure he's struck it rich. However, Pugwash's arch enemy Cut-throat Jake has a nasty trick up his sleeve.

Genres: Picture Books, Pirates, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, 20th Century

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wonderful Pugwash, I adore thee! What’s not to like about this loveable old eejit? 🤣

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Horatio Pugwash, that blustering pirate who first appeared in comic strip form in 1950, and who has starred in three television series devoted to his adventures, made his picture-book debut here, in this comic tale of two rival sea captains. With a crew of incompetent layabouts under his command, Captain Pugwash sails his ship, The Black Pig, about the Caribbean, always on the lookout for treasure. When his cabin boy, Tom - the only member of the crew with any discernible skills - spies another ship nearby, one that appears to be deserted, and piled high with gold, the greedy pirate sets out immediately to claim it. Unbeknownst to him, of course, it is a trap set by his arch-nemesis and rival pirate, the evil Cut-Throat Jake. Will Captain Pugwash be killed, or will the loyal Tom come to the rescue...?

Originally published in 1957, this first of more than twenty Captain Pugwash picture-books books is a humorous sea story sure to please young readers who enjoy a rollicking good tale. Children who love to read about the adventures of pirates will be particularly thrilled! Done in a cartoon-like style (which makes sense, given the origins of the character in a comic strip), and alternating between full color and black and white artwork with blue accents, the illustrations here are just as appealing as the text, perfectly capturing the zany, madcap humor of the story. All in all, Captain Pugwash is a fun little book - I can see why it has remained popular all of these years.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am revisiting this one to bump it from a 3 to 4 star rating, not because I feel it's a 4-star read, but because it has become a beloved favourite in our household. I also loved Pugwash as a child, but was fairly skeptical about him catching on in 2024. Well, it turns out that the 1974 Pugwash animated* series is on YouTube, and in spite of looking like it was made using paper dolls, it managed to be the runaway hit of the evening. (*using the term 'animated' as loosely as possible here - take a look, and you'll see what I mean!). Television's come a long way in half a century.. ;)

Cut-throat Jake is delightfully dastardly (and a little scary, with that big, black beard), Pugwash is a buffoon, and Tom the cabin boy is always the only clever and useful pirate of the lot. It's a winning combination.

In this one, greedy and imprudent Pugwash is lured onto a mysterious floating 'treasure ship', a trap set by his nemesis Cut-throat Jake, and, as usual, were it not for Tom...

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally (!) found a copy of one of the Captain Pugwash books at Internet Archive, and I read it today.

Captain Pugwash, in this episode of the series, has an offer to transport barrels of brandy on his ship for an outrageous amount of money. But soon we learn that there is not brandy inside the barrels, but pirates, pirates intent on taking over Captain Pugwash's ship. The plot is foiled by the cabin boy, and everything is set aright.

One of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Pugwash was humorous, well-told, and fun, and I was actually pretty impressed with how well the author captured the spirit of classic high-seas adventure books like Treasure Island (sans murder and anything truly terrifying, of course). The story moved and built into a great crescendo, and the ending was funny and grounded the tale. The kids and I also enjoyed the pictures, which were entertaining and full of action, movement, and color.

Although this is an old book, I think that Captain Pugwash is still a lot of fun for today's kids, and adults could really have a lot of fun reading this one aloud to kids. Really, I'm rather inclined to call Captain Pugwash a must-read for children who are into pirate stories.

[Saxonjus · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the nostalgia of my youth I took a turn down memory lane!! Quite Quirky & as an adult the humour a little thin at ties

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Pugwash: A Pirate Story by John Ryan was given to my father when he was young (the inscription doesn't give a year, but based on the address, I know he had to be under 9).

I can see why it was selected for him. It is silly, yet adventurous, bold, yet colorful. While the title character is the plot ignition, it is really the cabin boy, Tom, who is the hero of the story (as well as the wisest out of all of the characters).

Captain Pugwash wants treasure, but fears a rival pirate, Cut-throat Jake. In his pursuit of treasure, Captain Pugwash falls right into a trap set by Cut-throat Jake. But, luckily, Tom is there to save the day, though he is happy for the captain to take the credit.

As long as you don't mind cutesified pirates, Captain Pugwash: A Pirate Story by John Ryan is a fun read.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 1950's picture book series is a step up from early chapter books like Frog and Toad, but only just. It definitely appeals to the era who would have been watching the pirates on Disney's Peter Pan as something new. Comical pirates and Captain Pugwash are incredibly lazy, while the small cabin boy is running the entire ship. It is, of course, the cabin boy who saves the day and the captain who takes credit, but it seems to end with a sigh instead of a wink.

[Caspette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was fun and the kids enjoyed reading about the blundering Captain Pugwash and his lazy crew.

I can see why this has remained popular for many generations.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant, but there's not a lot there for the discerning adult reader (I'm a discerning adult reader). It's fine--it's a 3. The drawings are enjoyable (without being "you should buy it for the illustrations alone!" caliber), the tale straightforwardly-told, but it's really not all that much more exciting than something you might whip up for tired children on a row boat ride out of your imagination (unless you're Lewis Carroll, who did rather amazing things off the top of his head).

The viewpoint character, Tom, does pretty much what any of us would do and no more. There's no moral lesson (other than be careful with your tools and use them correctly). It's entertaining for five minutes, and then it's over.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The usual pirate jokes and cliches mixed in with the usual goofball who is always messing everything up. If your kid like this type of this, this series is for you.

As an adult I wasn't too awed by the series. It would make a good read aloud book, because the pictures are numerous and detailed. It would also be a good step in between picture and chapter books for the same reason.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I recall, but Lauren liked it.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timeless and great to read aloud. The illustrations are superb. Favourite story is Pugwash the Smuggler.