Pirates Don't Change Diapers

by Melinda Long, David Shannon (Illustrator)

When the pirate crew turns up at Jeremy Jacob's house and accidentally wakes his baby sister, that wee scallywag howls louder than a storm on the high seas. Sure, there's buried treasure to be found, but nobody's digging up anything until Bonney Anne quits her caterwauling. So, quicker than you can say "scurvy dog," Braid Beard and his swashbuckling pirates become . . . babysitters? Blimey!

This hilarious companion to How I Became a Pirate reveals that minding the nursery can be even more terrifying than walking the plank--especially if you're a pirate.

Genres: Picture Books, Pirates, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Family, Adventure

44 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2007

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent opportunity to use your very best pirate accent.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeremy Jacob's pirate crew shows up at his house to dig up their buried treasure but finds themselves helping out with babysitting duties for Bonney Anne. If the crew can't keep her quiet, there'll be no treasure digging. Humorous and filled with pirate jargon, this tale is sure to bring a laugh.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirates Don't Change Diapers is a fun story for young children who just can't get enough of pirates.

One day, when Jeremy Jacob's mother has to make a run to the store, she tells him to watch his baby sister. But when his friends--a rowdy bunch of pirates--show up, looking for their treasure, he's got a big problem. Nobody's allowed to dig for treasure until the baby's calmed down, so the pirates have to put their childcare skills to the test.

This is obviously the second book about Jeremy Jacob and his pirate friends, as they're already familiar with each other. But this book can still be enjoyed on its own. The detailed illustrations are fun to look at, especially when the pirates are trying to do basic things like feed a baby and change a diaper. The ending is cute, too, and ties in with the beginning of the story in a sweet way.

Overall, this is a fun story. I haven't seen a ton of good pirate picture books out there. This is definitely one of them.

Quotable moment:

[One Code 431 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sweet and cute story

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations of a little boy's imagination while he's at home with little sister.

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little book.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirates Don't Change Diapers. do they? This is such a cute book about "babysitters" who think they may have to actually "sit" on the babies! A bit hard to read with some of the accents used, but my children have always loved my own accent interpretations! :)

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great picture book for the upper grades, but really what age group doesn't love pirates. This book is a sequel and just as fun to read as the first one. This book would be great for book clubs or a fun read aloud. The book does a good job of keeping kids engaged.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story. A little boy, Jeremy Jacob watches his baby sister while his dad is a sleep. Some pirate friends arrive upon his door step to claim their buried treasure.

A cute entertaining story. My 3 year old daughter liked it.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant about reading this book out loud. I thought it would be a bit "busy" and hard to follow for the kids. However, the kids loved it! They were entertained and want to hear it and read it on their own often.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good transition from Oh David books

[Andrea Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pirates and babies? what more do you need?

[Nova Wassmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Pirates Don't Change Diapers’ begins with a young boy who we come to find is actually an older brother to a one year old BonneyAnne. Being an older sibling comes with responsibilities such as watching over your younger sibling, protecting them, and from time to time changing a diaper or two. For our young pirate, we see a desire to make this great responsibility not trivial or mundane but rather an exciting adventure in search of treasure. He has to watch over his younger sister while his mother is away on an errand. Not much longer after his mother leaves out the door, he hears a knock. He looks through the peephole and sees his long lost ship mates and Captain Braid BRead. They don't make watching BonneyAnne easy, but just like many pirate adventures, it isn't always smooth sailing. The young pirate leads the others to brave his sister until his mother returns. His desire to be the good older brother is proven by him taking charge of the situation and realizing that his sister is the only one that can help him find his treasure. In Moebius’s ‘Picturebook Codes’, he discusses the code of lines and capillarity. This is shown in the text whenever the pirates are in unison, the words become much larger and are in bold. This is showing the overwhelming passion and excitement they have for this adventure no matter how difficult the task may seem.

[Marissa Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about a little boy who wants to give his mom an amazing birthday present, but does not have any money. One day his mom goes to the store and leaves him in charge of his baby sister, so he calls on his pirate friends for help. After taking care of his sister they dig up treasurer and find the most perfect gift for his mom.

The overall theme is responsibility in how the little boy has to take care of his sister and make sure she is safe.

While reading this book I felt happy and it brought joy to my heart of how badly he wanted to get his mom the most perfect birthday gift. He worked hard to make sure his sister was also safe and well taken care of throughout the process.

I would recommend this book to help show responsibility and to have a funny story about pirates. It is a feel good story and also shows siblings helping out the parents. It keeps the readers attention with lots of well done illustrations.

[Emily Gerstenschlager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read May 21, 2021
Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: K-2
This is a story that I just know kids will get a kick out of since they talk about diapers and there are pirates involved. I think the way this book is written is a great way to teach about different ways people speak. A lot of the book is written in a pirate's language through speech. This would be great to get students thinking about the different ways they hear people in their lives talk and why they may have different accents or words for things. This will help them learn about diversity and cultures, especially with the students in their class.

[CatJuggler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little girl was creepy looking. She is two years old with four huge chompers and they give her strained spinach to eat. Perhaps for the sake of humor. She appears to be thoroughly well-greased all over.

At times, Jeremy Jacob has too many lines in his face and LOTS of teeth, making him look old (he IS a former pirate). There are a whole lot of pirates with a nice assortment of features; Bonney Anne looks like she herself is one of them. Other than that, this is a well-written, fun story.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the sequel to How I Became a Pirate, Jeremy Jacob is back, but this time he has a baby sister. When his mother goes shopping and tells Jeremy to let his dad nap, he knows this will be a challenging assignment. Yet, special forces arrive just in time to help him, Braid Beard and his pirate friends from the sequel. In need of some quick cash, they come to unbury their treasure chest. At the same time Jeremy's baby sister awakes screaming. But no problem, he has his friends the pirates to babysit little Bonney Anne. This is a fun sequel with spectacular illustrations.

[Astrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect for little pirates

My 8 yr olds thoughts. “She liked the baby and everything about it.”
My thoughts: Cute story about a boy that is need of a gift for his mom when pirates show up at his door in need of help to find the treasure they buried in his home while having to care for his young sister. I think this is a great story for young kids that like pirates and have baby siblings.

[Kelly Boggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom Jeremy to run an errands and has him "keep his sister happy" while his dad is napping. His old pirate friends show up needing the treasure they buried (the last book) to fix the statue of the captain's mother. They join Jeremy in changing, feeding, rocking, and entertaining his little sister.
I don't get the random birthday present at the end.

It's funny with great illustrations. (No guns or ale in this one.)

[Steve Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*

I'm rounding up to show that I like this Melinda Long pirate book the best! This one keeps to the same theme as "How I Became a Pirate." This one generates more laughs, however, and I feel it puts it over the top since a book like this being read aloud is for the entertainment value. The illustrations are detailed and easy to look at. I like this one!

[Anna Larson]

This book makes babysitting an adventure. Jeremy Jacob is tasked with taking care of his sister, he and his pirate friends struggle through the normal aspects of babysitting (changing diapers, feeding, calming). At first the baby is annoying, but eventually she helps them find the buried treasure. It is a story for older siblings and a good way to frame something as mundane as baby sitting.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this two book set! How I Became A Pirate is a great story and sets up for a wonderful second encounter between the characters. There is a lot of text manipulation, which makes the story easy to read aloud and much more interactive for the students who are listening to the story being read. The illustrations are on point, and enhance the story wonderfully.

[Carson Bickford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pirates Don't Change Diapers by David Shannon is a funny children's book. David Shannon is a notorious children's books author and illustrator so his books have gained a positive reputation from young readers. This book is about young children who are playing pirates and forced to baby sit one of the pirates sisters. It is very comical, cute and overall great for young children.

[Sarah Limb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a sequel to the first book, “How I Became a Pirate?” I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book and this second book wasn’t my cup of tea. I mean… his dad is a horrible parent figure if he can’t hear a baby crying and doesn’t check on his children at all. It was fine, but had some weird plot holes.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parents need to know that this tale of babysitting buccaneers is rollicking and inoffensive fun.

This is from commonsensemedia.org




Booklist (March 1, 2007 (Vol. 103, No. 13))

Jeremy Jacob reunites with his pirate pals in this humorous companion to How I Became a Pirate (2003). All is quiet at Jeremy's house: Mom is out, Dad is napping, and baby Bonney Anne is asleep. Then Captain Braid Beard and his noisy crew come for their buried treasure, and--Aaargh--they wake the baby. Digging treasure must wait until Baby is calmed, and hullabaloo ensues as buccaneers turn babysitters, who find themselves changing diapers, spoon-feeding strained spinach, and playing "pirate peekaboo."Just when things seem quiet enough for the digging to begin, the map goes missing and so does Bonney Anne. Drolly related by Jeremy, the witty narrative, with bountiful pirate jargon, boisterous interjections, and plenty of repetitions, makes for a peppy read-aloud, and colorful artwork captures chaos with playful perspectives and hilarious details. Nonstop action, good-natured rascals, and a comical, affectionate view of sibling relationships and baby care will attract pirate aficionados and big brothers alike.



Horn Book (Fall 2007)

Braid Beard and the rest of the How I Became a Pirate crew stage a reappearance--just in time to help Jeremy Jacob mind his baby sister while Mom's out grocery shopping and Dad snoozes. Long's humorous text will tickle readers' funny bones, and Shannon's boisterous acrylic illustrations are packed with silly details (look for the pirate holding a sippy cup).



Kirkus Reviews (January 15, 2007)

Though "pirates don't change diapers. They don't even change socks!" a crew of eye-patched, hook-handed knaves faces the challenge of diverting an unhappy toddler in this hilariously helter-skelter follow-up to How I Became A Pirate (2003). Showing up on the doorstep of young swabbie Jeremy Jacob to reclaim the treasure they had buried in his backyard in the previous episode, Captain Braid Beard and his scurvy tars first have to calm the fussing of little Bonney Anne--though that involves learning how to change a diaper, spooning out strained spinach ("Shiver me timbers! What be this vile-smelling swill?") and rocking the tyke to sleep. Shannon pulls out all the stops, packing each crowded scene with frantic plug-uglies in gloriously detailed pirate garb, surrounding a deceptively cute urchin who's in charge from first moment to last. Like Colin McNaughton's similarly themed Captain Abdul's Little Treasure (2006), this will engender rousing cheers from mateys of every stripe. (Picture book. 6-8)



Publishers Weekly (January 1, 2007)

Plucky young Jeremy Jacob is reunited with Captain Braid Beard and his crew of daft, dentally challenged buccaneers in a follow-up to the bestselling How I Became a Pirate. This time, Jeremy clearly has the upper hand: he won't let the pirates dig up the treasure they buried in his backyard at the end of the previous book until they help him placate his cranky baby sister, Bonney Anne (pirate aficionados will note that her name is a nod to real-life female pirate Anne Bonny). The story unfolds rather predictably-but just as entertainingly as the original: the pirates turn out to be washouts as nannies, jokes fly about dirty diapers and strained spinach, and, of course, "the wee lass" Bonney Anne ends up being the key to recovering the treasure. But Long's piratical dialogue still delivers a juicy read-aloud: what reader of any age won't relish the opportunity to say "Aargh!" or declare "Rock on!" as the crew does in unison when Braid Beard orders them to rock Bonney Anne to sleep? And Shannon's voluptuously colorful and comic paintings runneth over with comic mayhem, sly details (somehow, the pirates manage to find a pirate show on Jeremy's TV) and no end of goofy expressions. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.



School Library Journal (April 1, 2007)

PreS-Gr 3-Another flight of piratical fancy with young Jeremy Jacob and the motley crew from How I Became a Pirate (Harcourt, 2003). Jeremy Jacob, supposed-to-be babysitter, is distracted from keeping an eye on his snoozing sister by the boisterous, baby-wakening arrival of Captain Braid Beard and his men, who have come in search of the treasure formerly entrusted to our suburban buccaneer. They need his help to find their loot, and he needs their help to mind Bonney Anne. Unfortunately, pirates are unfamiliar with nappies, and num-nums, and naptimes, so there are a lot of funny faux pas and hysterical, histrionic looks-particularly when it's discovered that the baby's made a snack of the all-important X-marks-the-spot map. All's well that ends well, though: the brigands' booty is recovered, and their reward to Jeremy Jacob will become the birthday gift he wraps up for his mom. Long's dialogue makes for a rollicking read-aloud, and Shannon's signature artwork is a vibrant concoction of rowdy colors; Magoo-eyed, snaggle-toothed characters; and a baby who bears an unsettling resemblance to Alfred E. Newman. Yo-ho-ho!-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids voted to give this funny sequel 5 stars - and it is funny to watch the pirates babysitting Bonney Anne.

The text is on the long side, so this book is better for older preschoolers who can sit through long stories or for young elementary students.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out Pirates do change diapers. This is a sequel to "How I became a Pirate." The story was cute enough and the illustrations are as grotesque as usual. If you liked the first one, you'll probably like this one. For preK-2nd grade.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Wasn't a parent favorite, but my boys (6.5 and 4yo) loved the first book and were so excited about a second one. Was same style as first one, so if you liked the first one, you'll probably like this one.

[Mariah Roze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really funny story about Pirates becoming babysitters.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goofy fun with some great visuals.