Pirates & Privateers: Books for Pirate Apprentices -- Activities, Crafts, Games, & Puzzles

Escape Game Pirates
by Eric Nieudan
illustrated by Margot Briquet
Schiffer Kids, 2020, ISBN 978-0-7643-6008-4, US $16.99

You awake to find yourself all alone on a ship in the middle of the sea. You have no memory of what happened. Where is the captain? What became of your mates?

That is the premise of this combination adventure, mystery, puzzle book. Written for pirate apprentices between the ages of eight and twelve, it’s up to you to unravel clues, decipher secret messages, and wend your way through the ship to gather the information you need to answer those questions.

Sample page
(Source: Publisher, used with permission, image copyrighted)

This book actually consists of two volumes, one bound inside the other. The main book contains the puzzles and pictures, as well as several pages of answers, while the clue book contains objects and information needed during the course of this adventure. The main book also contains several pages for note-taking and list-making.

While the idea for this book is tantalizing, the translation doesn’t always work. According to the instructions at the beginning of the book, you are alone on the ship. This is a fallacy, because others are aboard. The fact that one may be a traitor is downplayed, rather than emphasized, which makes me wonder why this is important to the story. Check marks throughout the book are supposed to alert readers that these objects are important, but I only found one such marking and by the time I did, I forgot what the purpose of the check mark was. The page numbers are so small that they are difficult to read. Although the artwork is great and fits the mood of the story, the subdued coloring makes it difficult to find essential items. For example, the trap doors at the end of one maze are barely visible. Another problem is that some numbers hidden in the page illustrations are brown on brown or black on black, which makes them difficult or impossible to locate. (If you’re wondering, I have 20/20 vision and am sitting directly under a bright light and still haven’t found one or two of the numbers.) Assumptions are also made that readers will know what a particular item is, such as in the pantry where the food and other items are strewn about, or that they understand foreign words, for one puzzle uses a French number rather than its English equivalent. A few clues are so cryptic or lacking sufficient detail, I can’t solve them and there is at least one place where the stated solution on the answer pages can’t possibly be correct because the number of letters in the clue and the answer don’t match.

If children enjoy this book, they may be disappointed that its format really only allows them to solve the mystery once. Another format, such as a spiral-bound or loose-leaf book with laminated pages, may have allowed them to erase their answers and solve the mystery again and again. Another reason the format is an issue is that some text and illustrations on the double-page spreads are lost in the book’s binding. For example, where one maze crosses the center between one page and the next, there’s no way to tell if the path through the maze is open or blocked.

One final caution to consider is how adept pirate apprentices are at unraveling puzzles. If they are easily frustrated or have short attention spans, this book may not be a treasure they will enjoy.

Akin to role-playing games, for which the author is a specialist, this book requires readers to explore, investigate, and maneuver not only the ship and the sea but also the intricate details of the illustrations. A sharp mind and excellent eyesight are essential, and while the instructions don’t mention the need for a magnifying glass and good lighting, some pirate apprentices may find these as essential as the compass and other tools found on a ship.

Despite these issues, I enjoyed the majority of the book. The puzzles and mazes are fun and somewhat challenging. It is a book that most pirate apprentices will not complete in a single sitting, which is why those blank pages are a good inclusion so you don’t forget what you’ve found once you’re able to return to the mystery. Full-fledged adult pirates who like puzzles will also find challenges and have fun deciphering and unraveling these.

How to Be a Pirate in 7 Days or Less
by Lesley Rees
illustrated by Jan Lewis
Kingfisher, 2006, ISBN 0-7534-6041-6, US $12.95

Ever want to be a pirate? Captain Kidd needs a crew, but he must find them in just seven days, for that’s when he sets sail in search of treasure. At present, he only has a first mate named Barnacle Bill and Poopdeck, the parrot. This seven-day crash course in becoming a pirate will allow you to join him on his treasure-hunting expedition.

Day 1: Any good pirate requires a name. Once you’ve chosen yours, Captain Kidd shows you how to make a porthole nameplate to hang on your door.

Day 2: What’s a pirate without the proper set of clothes? The finishing touch to your costume will be to make a cutthroat cutlass.

Day 3: To navigate your ship, you need a telescope to see where you’re headed.

Day 4: What’s a pirate without a treasure chest? When the day’s done, you’ll have one in which to hide your booty.

Day 5: To gather treasure, you’ll need other pirates, so it’s time to invite them to the party. Your ship is in need of a Jolly Roger to warn others that you’re pirates in search of treasure. Once you have that, you need a map to show where you hide your plunder.

Day 6: Pirating is hard work, so you’ll need lots of food, like scurvy-busting grog, hard tack, topsail sandwiches, doubloons, rats’ tails & pieces of eight, and cannonballs.

Day 7: Once your crew assembles, there are games to play, treasure to find, and rules to bind you together as shipmates.

Each day, children learn a fact or two about pirates and make something that’s fun and educational at the same time. The materials needed for the activities can usually be found at home or purchased from a store for little money. Inside the front cover is a ruler for measuring and a cutlass and skulls and crossbones to trace. The inside back cover has a traceable alphabet. There, you’ll also find a “locked” satchel that contains a hat and eye patch, stickers, game counters and “gold” earring, and a poster to color and display. The book also has strings that allow you to tie it shut.

How to be a Pirate in 7 Days or Less is a fun and safe way to explore the world of pirates. The instructions are easy to understand, although younger children will require the aid of an adult for some activities. (The book is geared toward ages five to eight.) The illustrations invite readers to explore the pages and understand what the day will bring. Pirates who dare to venture within will find plenty of treasure!

Cover Art: Lost Treasure of
the Pirates of the Caribbean

Lost Treasures of the Pirates of the Caribbean
by James A. Owen & Jeremy Owen
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4169-3960-3, US $16.99 / CAN $19.99

Pirates don’t bury their treasure and create maps that show where they hide it. Or do they? That’s the premise behind this book for children ages eight to twelve, or those who are older and like mysteries to solve.

In 1667, buccaneer Henry Morgan enlists the aid of Elijah McGee, who “excelled at making detail maps” and is a trustworthy soul. After his grandson’s death, the maps disappear and rumors circulate that this dynasty of mapmakers places hidden clues in their maps to a secret map of buried treasure. After many years, the authors acquire the maps at an estate sale. They recreate the maps within this book and provide, along with historical tidbits on pirate history, the clues and riddle needed to discover the location of the pirates’ treasure.

Contradictions in facts: the authors say the earliest pirates are the corsairs of the Barbary Coast, who begin preying in the 1500s. On the next page they say piracy has existed since man first begins sailing the sea. The latter is true, rather than the former. Blackbeard weaves slow matches, rather than gunpowder, into his braids. The smoke creates a devilish illusion; the gunpowder will have exploded when lit.

The presentation of material makes readers wonder if what the authors reveal is really true. The idea is plausible, and the intertwining of historical facts with the story will have young pirates dreaming of untold treasure. I particularly enjoy the Owens’ revelation about Captain Johnson, and just the idea of “the Pyratlas” will make pirate-lovers salivate. The detailed maps are gems in themselves. While I easily figured out the riddle, finding the location of the treasure is something I stumbled on to, rather than solved.

Lost Treasures of the Pirates of the Caribbean is a fascinating exploration of piratical history and maps. It captivates the reader and makes him/her wonder about “what if.” While young pirates are having fun, they’re learning, too. Once they have the answer in hand, they can go to the book’s website to see if they’re right and to download additional pirate lore.

Morgan's Revenge, 2006, US $15
Rhumb Line, 2005, US $10
Thaxx, 2004, US $20
Channel Craft

On our excursion to PyrateCon 2007 in New Orleans, my husband and I took three pirate games** with us. Each has a basis in history and a nautical theme. All are easily transportable and take up little space. After we played all three, we rated them according to which we like best and have the most fun playing. These games are available through Amazon or directly from Channel Craft.

Morgan's Revenge: Sir Henry Morgan, the most daring and successful buccaneer, sacks the city of Panama and protects Jamaica from a Spanish invasion. He seeks revenge against those foolish enough to cross his path. Morgan’s Revenge is a game of chance that includes six gold doubloons, six silver pieces of eight, and a six-sided pewter top. The coins are authentic replicas from the treasure ship Atocha, while the top’s origins date back to the days of the Egyptian pharaohs. The pieces come in an anniversary tin.

There is no limit to the number of players for this legendary game of chance, and it’s one of the few games where the youngest player gets to go first and names the wager for the round. Players take turns spinning the top. Once it stops, the player either takes coins from the pot or puts them in. Sometimes, everyone must add to the kitty. Other times, the spinner gets to take all the coins in the pot and thus wins the round.

The one question we don’t find an answer to is how many coins does each player begin with, and we wonder whether you can purchase additional coins to make the game last longer. There are only a few rules, and you’re welcome to invent new ones for a more challenging game. It takes practice to get the top to spin, but when it does, it can spin for a long time. Morgan’s Revenge is a clever game that’s easy to play and lots of fun.

Ratings: Tom

Cindy

Rhumb Line: The rhumb line is the shortest distance between two compass points that cross the meridian at the same angle. The compass rose names the four seasonal winds and is used by mariners after 1350. A game based on these two nautical devices eventually evolves, but whereas in the past it is played on old sailcloth, the current game is played on a rubber mat* similar in design to a mouse pad. The playing pieces come in a resealable plastic bag, and a small canvas drawstring tote is provided for storage of the board and stones.

Designed for two players, each receives sixteen stones to use in play and one for keeping score. The object of the game is to get four stones in a row – in a radius, an arc, or a spiral – to score points and prevent your opponent from scoring. The game ends when all thirty-two stones have been placed on the compass rose. The player with the highest score wins.

Rhumb Line sounds intimidating, especially for those who aren’t keen on geometry and math (like me), but the game is really a sophisticated version of tic-tac-toe and far simpler to play than either of us expected. The challenge is to achieve high-scoring goals without being blocked. The more often you play, the more adept you become at strategizing your moves. We particularly like the fact that we don’t have to keep score with pencil and paper because the game board includes a way to track points with just a stone. Rhumb Line does require players to pay attention, and the more you play, the more you enjoy this game. It’s fairly quick to play, but you may want to put a time limit on how long a player can strategize before making a move.

Ratings: Tom

Cindy

*One suggestion: You may want to air out the board for a while before playing because it does smell rubbery.

Thaxx: El Cazador disappears at sea on a dark winter’s night in 1784. On board is a treasure of 450,000 silver reales. Legend says that a hex, known as Thaxx, befalls the ship. The object of this game is to beat the odds and keep your treasure, otherwise you become a victim of Thaxx – just like El Cazador, King Carlos III, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Thomas Jefferson.

Designed for two players (ages seven-adult), the game consists of a wooden playing board, two dice, and thirty replicas from the ship’s treasure. The board contains a large diamond divided into two sections with rows of numbers from one to five. The object of the game is for each player to fill his side of the diamond with coins before his opponent. The number and combination of coins depends on the roll of the dice. The challenge comes from the fact that your opponent can take coins from your side of the board to fill his side.

I confess I’m still a bit puzzled about the hex. Since there are no sixes on the board, and some rolls of the dice are meaningless. We’re not certain whether it was the table we played on or the dice, but the dice tend to bounce long distances. After playing for a while, Tom and I decided that this is similar to Parchessi. Since there is no container to keep the game together, the dice and coins may get lost. I thought the game is less fun than the others and slower, but Tom likes it better than Morgan’s Revenge.

Ratings: Tom

Cindy

**These games are not for small children. All have pieces that are easily swallowed.

Pirate Things to Make and Do
by Rebecca Gilpin
illustrated by Erica Harrison and others
EDC Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978079451061-9, US $6.99

This craft book invites youngsters to try their hands at making various objects related to the world of pirates. The activities include making hats, coins, money bags, telescopes, earrings, eye patches, door signs, flags, collages, rats, finger puppets, treasure chests, cutlass and hook, and cards. One can learn to draw and paint ships, illustrate a man overboard, paint a parrot, or design Jolly Roger paper. Two pages of gold stickers are included for use with the projects.

There are a number of pirate craft books to be found in libraries, but this one does include some activities rarely found elsewhere. My favorite is the finger puppets, which are bigger than most commercial ones. This isn’t a book for the youngest of pirates and, for the most part, some artistic ability is required. The lack of patterns, the elaborateness of some of the drawings, and the difficulty in interpreting some instructions may frustrate young pirates who don’t have adult pirates to help. Another drawback is the absence of a list of items needed to accomplish each activity. Despite these drawbacks, this book includes unique items that make this worth adding to a collection where arts and crafts are popular.

Pirates
by Philip Steele
Kingfisher, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7534-6061-0, US $9.95

Jake “Rattlebones” Rogers swings in to guide you through the finer points of being a pirate. He explains why honest sailors go on the account, explores the history of piracy, introduces a few of the more notorious pirates, and talks about the vessels they use, their weaponry, and how they acquire booty. He also touches upon what happens to captured pirates. A glossary and index are included.

Part of the Inside Access series, Pirates is written for young pirates of five to eight years. It has large type and color pictures to captivate these apprentices. There are flaps to open, maps to unfold, flags to learn, and parts of the ship to memorize. This worthy introduction to piracy, particularly in the Caribbean, teaches that it isn’t all fun and games. The photographs, mixed with colorful sketches, bring this world and the past to life for young readers.