 Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
Books for
Young Pirates
No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou
By Rhonda Gowler Greene
Illustrated by Brian Ajhar
Sleeping Bear Press, 2013, ISBN 978-1-58536-796-2,
$15.95 / CAN $16.95
Also available as an e-book
The sudden and unexpected
appearance of smelly Big Pirate Pete and
his squawking parrot Igor cause a ruckus
in Seabreezy Library, a perfect place for
readers. His map shows just where the
treasure is buried, but he can’t figure
out where the X is located in the library.
The only one brave enough to stand up to
him is Lou the Librarian, and she makes it
abundantly clear the library does not
permit pirates unless . . . .
No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou
is a delightful tale about pirates,
librarians, and the importance of knowing
how to read. It’s great for reading aloud,
and the various sizes of print make it
clear to young pirates whether it’s time
to whisper, talk in a normal voice, or
shout. While the portrayal of librarians
tends to be hair in a bun, glasses, and
always saying shhh!, Greene portrays Lou
with gumption and the smarts to trick a
pirate into lowering his voice and
learning about books without his realizing
that’s what’s happening. Big Pete is the
epitome of a pirate, with his tricorn hat,
constantly shouting Arrgh!, and showing
disregard for others, yet he’s willing to
take a chance if it means he’ll locate the
treasure.
The vibrant artwork that accompanies the
text is expressive, the perfect mix of
humor and reality. Young pirates will have
no trouble using the pictures to tell the
story, even if they haven’t yet mastered
reading. Ajhar portrays the library with
both high tech and those old-fashioned
objects known as books. The combination of
his pictures and Greene’s words make this
a tale to be treasured for many
generations to come.
Review Copyright ©2013
Cindy Vallar
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