 Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
Books
for Young Pirates
Battle for the Knotty List
Cap'n McNasty's Pirate Guide
Battle for the Knotty List
By Michael G. Lewis
Illustrated by Stan Jaskiel
Pelican, 2016, ISBN 978-1455621330, US $16.99
Stealing
an elf has consequences. After all, an elf is impish
and likes to stir up trouble. And they work for
Santa, and what pirate wouldn’t love to have toys?
Too bad Capt’n McNasty doesn’t think through his
plan before he acts.
Soon after the pirates capture the elf, he starts
talking about the toy shop. Just one problem – the
lovely toys are only for nice children. And pirates
aren’t nice. So . . . the only way to become nice is
to stage a mutiny!
No matter how hard he fights, Capt’n McNasty is
doomed to fail since he’s only one man against a
whole crew of reformed pirates. What do pirates do
when they overthrow their captain? They cast him
adrift in a boat on a sea teeming with sharks. His
only hope is to land safely ashore. There are just a
few problems. The spot where he lands has only one
house. It precariously perches atop a cliff. And the
path up is steep, rocky, and slippery from rain. But
Capt’n McNasty has no option. He must ascend the
hill to survive. But what lies in wait on the other
side of the front door?
When I first read the title of this book for young
pirates, I was instantly intrigued. I understood the
play on words – knotty vs. naughty – but didn’t know
what would happen. I loved this Christmas adventure
and its surprise ending. The brilliant, colorful
illustrations are reminiscent of the Sunday comics,
and the dark ones with the pirates and the bright
ones in the toy shop provide great contrast between
naughty and nice. The pirates’ faces are expressive
with no two being alike. Young pirates will enjoy
studying each page to see what treasures it holds. Battle
for the Knotty List is sure to be a holiday
favorite for young and old pirates alike, not only
at Christmas but all year long.
Review
Copyright ©2016 Cindy Vallar
Cap’n McNasty’s Pirate Guide
By Michael G. Lewis
Illustrated by Stan Jaskiel
Pelican, 2020, ISBN 9781455625253, $16.99
Do you want to be a pirate? Well, you’re in luck!
Cap’n McNasty seeks a crew for the Knotty List.
But hurry! Quite a few scoundrels are already lined
up on the dock to sign up.
Of course, just wanting to be a pirate is never
enough. You need to study and Cap’n McNasty has just
the thing – a guide book to help you achieve your
dream.
One of the first items to learn is that pirate life
is not easy. There are chores galore to attend to
from dawn to dusk, but there’s also fun to be had.
But the adventure any scalawag craves comes when the
search for treasure is afoot.
This delightful tale, the fourth in the Cap’n
McNasty adventures, provides glimpses into a
pirate’s life at sea, from cleaning the ship to
doing the laundry and everything in between. The fun
includes bowling with a twist, spinning ghostly
yarns or ones about fearsome whales. Verses of four
lines that rhyme go hand-in-hand with colorful
illustrations of the scurvy scoundrels aboard the Knotty
List. It’s almost like touring a haunted house
– you never know what’s lurking just around the
corner. And there are lots of discoveries to be made
along the way, such as a pirate juice box, clothes
pins with skeleton heads, or an abacus with skulls.
The last page contains an author’s note that
explains that even pirates need to know how to read
and do math if they want to be true scalawags. Sure
to be a favorite of all young pirates!
Click to contact me
Background image compliments
of Anke's Graphics |