Pirates and Privateers

Are Pirates Polite?                The Grumpy Pirate



Are Pirates Polite?
By Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig
Illustrated by David Catrow
Orchard Books, 2016, ISBN 978-0-545-62874-72, US $16.99 / CAN $22.99
 

When you think about pirates, several traits come to mind. They are rowdy. They fight. And they steal other people’s treasure. But is it possible that pirates are also polite?

Well, they always share their stolen booty, dividing it equally among themselves. And this captain makes them toe the line. They must say please and thank you. How else might they show consideration to their mates?

Are Pirates Polite? provides young pirates with fun ways to learn manners, and this rhyming story helps them distinguish between good and bad ways of acting. The large, colorful illustrations invite your young pirates to study and explore. If they look closely, they just might find red-eyed rats or a pirate with a bunny.

                
Meet the authors: Corinne Demas, Artemis Roehrig
Meet the illustrator
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  Review Copyright ©2016 Cindy Vallar

    The Grumpy Pirate
    By Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig
    Illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee
    Orchard Books, 2020, ISBN 978-1-338-22297-5, US $17.99

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.