Roger, the Jolly Pirate

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Summary: YOU'LL BE SINGING LIKE A PIRATE!
Review: Brett Helquist, author of the Lemony Snicket series, brings young readers a fantastical pirate tale.

Roger isn't a very good pirate. He tends to confuse the windward from the leeward and such. He smiles too much, and his fellow pirates like to frown and growl. His shipmates nickname him the "Jolly Roger." The Admiral sails in to capture the pirates, and Roger is put in the hold as usual, but something terrible happens. Let's hope Roger survives to tell the tale!

Roger, The Jolly Pirate is fun. The illustrations are hilariously expressive. Kids can read it alone or have mom or dad read it aloud. Either way, everyone will be singing like pirates by the end of the book.

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Summary: A MUST for Misfits, Outcasts, & Pirate Lovers!
Review: Created by the illustrator of the Lemony Snicket series, this rollicking and imaginative story is a "must" for any adventure lover, particularly a pirate lover who wonders about the origin of the frightening, skull and crossbones "Jolly Roger" flag. Helquist's fictional explanation even provides an important lesson for any child was treated or treated another child like a misfit or outcast: Be nice to misfits because they may be very helpful to you one day! Here, Roger is a "lousy pirate" who "couldn't tell the starboard from the larboard, the windward from the leeward, or the mizzen from the main." A misfit who "smiled instead of scowling," "grinned instead of growling," and "never struck fear in any sailor's heart." The "real pirates" disapprovingly call him "Jolly Roger". Whenever there is "serious pirating to be done," he is banished to the ship's hold. But, bumbling Roger manages to become an unlikely hero. Helquist tells the story in lively, whimsical, humorous verse that's flawlessly matched by his hilarious, lively, and bold illustrations in watercolor, pencil, and pastel. The "Ballad of Jolly Roger" provides a nice finish. Highly recommended for ages 4 and up.

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Summary: A Big Hit At Our House
Review: My almost 4 year old has recently become entranced with pirates, and this book has been a big hit at our house. The illustrations are wonderful, the story is witty and fun to read out loud for parents, and it's neither too realistically gory nor too white-washy as far as what real pirates were like. We like singing the song at the end too. Great for any kid that likes pirates (or even those who don't--it's just a fun story).

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Summary: Rollicking Good Fun
Review: My three-year-old is entranced by pirates, and this book is a big winner. Roger's tale is funny and charming, and the piratical doings are not too scary for the very young. Helquist's art is spectacular, and each pirate has his own distinct, elegantly exaggerated look. It's nice to see an "illustrator's book" where equal care has been taken with the text; the story bounces along with compulsive readability.

Like Roger's ill-fated cake, this book has made a big bang at our house!

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Summary: Funny!
Review: Roger does not fit in with the other pirates. The tease him and call him Jolly Roger and they don't mean it nicely. When the Admiral comes aboard, Roger is sent below. He wants to be liked so he decides to bake a cake in a large pot that is really a connon. He ends up as the hero with a whole new respect. They make a flag in honor of him, the skull and cross bones, and name it the Jolly Roger.