One-Eyed Jake

Rating:
Summary: fun plot-- a greedy pirate gets his comeuppance
Review: Pat Hutchins' _One Eyed Jake_ is a picture book about Jake, a pirate who can't seem to get enough booty, even if it means sinking his own ship.

Jake travels with a crew of three-- a bosun, a cook, and a cabin boy. None of his crewmates enjoy working with Jake-- he's mean, cruel, and they are tired of stealing. Each has his own aspirations. The bosun wants to guide large cargo ships, the cook wants to be a chef on a large passenger ship, and the cabin boy wants to be a fisherman.

Jake's ship steals a whopping load of booty from, in turn, a cargo ship, a passenger ship, and a fishing vessel. Each time, in order to keep his ship from sinking under the weight of the loot, Jake tosses one of his crew members overboard to the other vessel.

So, in the end, the bosun, cabin boy, and cook all get their wishes. Jake's ship, however, sinks under the weight of all that treasure.

One Eyed Jake's illustrations are not terribly good, but the text is fun to read, and my son's interest is held throughout. This book makes a nice complement to other pirate picture books, such as McPhail's _Edward and the Pirates_, and Mem Fox's _Tough Boris_.

ken32

Rating:
Summary: fun plot-- a greedy pirate gets his comeuppance
Review: Pat Hutchins' _One Eyed Jake_ is a picture book about Jake, a pirate who can't seem to get enough booty, even if it means sinking his own ship.

Jake travels with a crew of three-- a bosun, a cook, and a cabin boy. None of his crewmates enjoy working with Jake-- he's mean, cruel, and they are tired of stealing. Each has his own aspirations. The bosun wants to guide large cargo ships, the cook wants to be a chef on a large passenger ship, and the cabin boy wants to be a fisherman.

Jake's ship steals a whopping load of booty from, in turn, a cargo ship, a passenger ship, and a fishing vessel. Each time, in order to keep his ship from sinking under the weight of the loot, Jake tosses one of his crew members overboard to the other vessel.

So, in the end, the bosun, cabin boy, and cook all get their wishes. Jake's ship, however, sinks under the weight of all that treasure.

One Eyed Jake's illustrations are not terribly good, but the text is fun to read, and my son's interest is held throughout. This book makes a nice complement to other pirate picture books, such as McPhail's _Edward and the Pirates_, and Mem Fox's _Tough Boris_.

ken32