DAVY'S PIRATE SHIP ADVENTURE

A boy leads his family through an imaginative adventure in this children’s book debut from Berkley, illustrated by Rauscher (Princess Truly in My Magical Sparkling Curls, 2018).

A sea monster attacks a pirate ship that Davy built. But the youngster—whose crew includes his mother, father, and younger brother, a small bear, and a space alien—isn’t afraid. His cannon is well-stocked, and when little brother fires, the monster is blown into the distance. Next, Davy and his crew face a terrible storm, but the ship can turn into a submarine. After the family finds treasure, the final illustration reveals that the imagined adventure actually took place during the brothers’ bathtime. Davy and his family, all of whom have brown skin and dark, curly hair (except Dad, who’s bald), work together to defeat their imagined obstacles, coming up with creative solutions. Berkley’s rhyming text never misses a beat, and even pairings that don’t quite rhyme (“gold”/”patrol”) work well for the overall rhythm. Rauscher’s engaging illustrations combine watercolor backgrounds with cartoonish main characters, creating action sequences full of kid appeal. Notes at the end provide ages and descriptions for each character, and readers will likely be hopeful that their adventures will continue in future books.

A charming ode to imagination, problem-solving, and family fun.