Bedtime is already well-bedecked with piratical fare, but no one’s going to object to just one more book of this kind,...
On a vessel whose crew numbers two, a young boy uses his formidable avoidance techniques to put off bedtime for as long as possible.
When a boy’s pirate papa declares in no uncertain terms that it is bedtime, the dance of getting his tiny crewmember down begins. First, “not-so-sleepy Ned” begs for additional time. Then his teddy goes missing. Then there’s an outright escape up the mainmast. And even when Papa Pirate gets his miniature mutineer into bed, there are cries for more water, a book, and even a song. Little wonder that it’s the weary captain and not his one-man crew who conks out first. Told in gentle rhyming verse, the book never goes beyond the usual sleepy-time tropes. The nautical terms are at times clever (as when the boy objects that he's soon to be "marooned…all alone" in his bed) and at times driven more by rhyme than logic (referring to a merely missing teddy as a “stowaway” doesn’t make much sense). Likewise, the art is serviceable if not exciting. Yet for young buccaneers eager for their own adventures on the seven seas, the nonthreatening tone and look will hold a certain lure.
Bedtime is already well-bedecked with piratical fare, but no one’s going to object to just one more book of this kind, particularly when it’s this good-natured. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-38532-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
While thar be precious little piracy visible in this, its feminist themes are strong.
Feminism for the piratically inclined.
Fitzgerald and Barrager give the old chestnut of a girl who’s turned away from a boys’ fort due to her gender alone a piratical twist. After CeCe’s initial disappointment, she vows to get advice from the only true pirate she knows: her grandfather. Game to give his granddaughter a 101 in how to be the best possible scurvy dog, he uses each of his tattoos to extol a virtue such as bravery or speed. As in Alison McGhee and Eliza Wheeler’s Tell Me a Tattoo Story (2016), body art becomes the inspiration for any number of adventures and aphorisms, ending with the most important lesson: love. Readers may note that few of these flights of fancy have much to do with pirates specifically. Nevertheless, an emboldened CeCe returns to the boys and successfully owns her piratude. The ending is more than a bit optimistic, as CeCe gains admission simply by redeclaring intentions with a smidgen more chutzpah. Would that misogyny always rolled over so easily. Happily, Fitzgerald’s tale is accompanied by the rollicking vibrancy of Barrager’s art. Reality pales (literally) in the face of the imagination, with a clever tonal shift to a brighter, more saturated palette indicating CeCe’s determination. CeCe and Grandpa both present white; the boys who initially snub her display a range of skin colors and hair textures.
While thar be precious little piracy visible in this, its feminist themes are strong. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68119-778-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
The book lacks the engaging hook of the popular song, but the illustrations (mostly) charm.
Oliver and his monkey, Leo, set off on a quest to discover a mysterious, beautiful name in this picture book inspired by the chart-topping worship song of the same name.
When young Oliver hears his mother singing one day, the lyrics of the song “What a Beautiful Name” noodle into his brain. Who or what is this beautiful name? It can only mean one thing: time for an adventure. In their bright yellow rocket ship, Oliver and his trusty sidekick, Leo, jet off over mountains, an ocean, a jungle, a desert, and into outer space and back in search of the mysterious name. Along the way they discover that the name must be not only beautiful, but wonderful and powerful as well. Yet the name they seek is found not in the glory of creation but safe at home in Oliver’s very own Bible. The use of a rocket as their primary mode of transport is a somewhat confusing choice given their largely terrestrial destinations. It is also not entirely clear how Oliver comes to understand the wonder, power, and beauty of the name of Jesus on the basis of his journey. Nevertheless, the rhyme keeps things moving while Scott Ligertwood’s illustrations, reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers’ style, enchant. Oliver presents White, so the choice of an unspeaking monkey sidekick is a regrettable one, given stereotypical associations of monkeys with Black people. Aftermatter prints the lyrics in full and includes a note for parents and scriptural references for those lyrics. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18.5% of actual size.)
The book lacks the engaging hook of the popular song, but the illustrations (mostly) charm. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-19270-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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