Sloop John B: A Pirate's Tale

by Alan Jardine

Alan Jardine, a member of the original Beach Boys, has written a fun-filled pirate adventure based on the classic folk song Sloop John B. A young boy and his grandfather get trapped by pirates at sea, but triumphantly defeat the pirate and his crew!

Genres: Picture Books, Pirates, Childrens, Music

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book makes a lot more sense now that I understand that it's based on a song. It still doesn't work well as a standalone.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sea faring tale of a young boy and his grandfather defeat pirates who board their Sloop John B and disrupt their high ocean adventure.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose Sloop John B: A Pirate's Tale, by Grammy-award winner Alan Jardine (of the Beach Boys), because I love the Beach Boys song. This is a revised version of the song for children, about a little boy and his grandfather, who while sailing on the Sloop John B encounter some dastardly pirates. I liked that I could sing the words to my daughter to the melody of the Beach Boys song, but I found the plot a little lacking. Once again, I found no internal conflict in the characters in the book. The grandfather and his grandson are attacked by pirates and they have to protect and defend themselves, but I saw no tough choices that they had to make.

Am I being too harsh when I apply these measures to children's books? As I write these reviews, my mind goes back to Blueberries for Sal, and I ask myself if I judged that favorite book by the same criteria. I think that I -- without articulating it -- did. Sal did have choices and had internal conflict, albeit the choices and conflicts of a toddler. "Should I put my hand in my mother's berry bucket? I didn't mean to pull out a handful of berries, I just wanted the one that I put in." I think that for me, the difference here is that in reading about Sal's adventures, I can understand and empathize with her point of view, where as far as I'm concerned this little boy has no point of view.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute--lovely illustrations, and as "Sloop John B" is clearly the best Beach Boys song ever, I was already predisposed to like this (although the altered lyrics and the way the words on the CD don't exactly match what's written in the book weirded me out a little at first). In this version, Jardine has made it a story about a boy and his grandfather who are boarded by pirates but then manage to get the upper hand and win the day (which is much more kid-friendly and entertaining than boy and grandpa drinking too much and getting into a fight like in the original version). And the line about the corn still remains, so I'm happy! Anyway, I think what Jardine did with this is fun, and a neat way to translate a song that a large number of adults know and love into something a kid will also be able to enjoy.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text is based on the lyrics of the song "Sloop John B" made famous by the Beach Boys - with pirates thrown in. The book comes with a CD of the author singing it - so you can let your audience listen to the book while you turn pages. The illustrations are fun and colorful. Fun, read - or sing - aloud.

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art, the text size are appropriate for preschool. The rhymes, though: "The pirate/ he got the fits/ And threw away my grits." Really? If the gentle rhyming text had made sense, this would be a perfect storytime book. As it is, though, it won't be joining my storytime during Pirate Week in September.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very fun children's book that my boys loved!It is the words to a famous Beach Boy song put to great pictures!

[Jobie · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT book w/ read and sing along CD. Andrew liked it so much that he decided to cut it with scissors! And subsequently, we bought it from the library.

[Carin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a project for school on this book a few years ago, and have loved it since! THe book comes with a CD of the text to a song and my kids have the song memorized!

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just because you're a Beach Boy founding member DOES NOT mean you can write a children's book!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this adaptation of the old Beach Boys song! It makes a lot more sense to me than the song did when I was a kid! Ha! Great illustrations, too.

[Courtney K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the illustrations and the grandpa character, but I didn't care for the verse.