The Pirate's Parrot - Hardcover

A hyperopic pirate, curmudgeonly at the best of times, loses his parrot and monocle, much to the dismay of his crew. In a bumbling attempt to restore the captains questionable good humor, the crew inadvertently steal a teddy bear instead of a new bird. Farsighted as he is, Captain Cur fails to notice the discrepancy. To the astonishment of the men, the teddy is female and capable of walking and talking. The crew, loath to rouse their captains ire, hide the pilfered monocle, hoping to replace the teddy (now masquerading as a parrot) with the real thing before the mistake is discovered. McFarland builds the tale around the humor of this preposterous situation, from the dreaded giggles of fear Cur encounters whenever he appears with his furry friend, to the scurvy shipmates coaching a cuddly teddy bear in pirate etiquette. McFarlands comic illustrations burst with color, depicting the riotous life on board a pirate ship. One caveat: the denouement, when Cur encounters a warship, contains the sole violent scene in the book, as Barr, the teddy, rips the earring out of Captain McDaggers ear and gets a corner of her own ear lopped off in return. Aside from this rather graphic moment, the rest of the tale is surprisingly violence-free, especially considering its subject of high seas piracy. Aye, aye, Captain. (Picture book. 5-7)-- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-When his parrot dies and he accidentally steps on his monocle, Captain Cur demands that his band of pirates replace them. With their next plunder, they unwittingly return with a talking teddy bear-a "girlie teddy" no less-instead of a bird. The visually impaired Cur places the bear on his shoulder and the pirates break out in laughter. Quartermaster Bellows explains "'Tis the dreaded 'giggles of fear'-Why your bird leapt at the men, and they be afeared of it." The pirates teach the bear how to squawk, spit, and swashbuckle, and at the next raid, the besieged sailors break out in howls of laughter, surrendering their merchant ship. But the pirates meet their match when they encounter Captain McDagger on the Sea Weasel. Captain Cur's days are numbered unless his teddy bear can save the day. Most illustrations are on detailed, colorful double-page spreads that include inset images. The characters are drawn with a wide array of expressions that enhance the story. In one scene, McDagger is shown faceless in shades of gray, descending like a shadow behind the unsuspecting Cur. Consider adding this lengthy yarn where pirate stories are in high demand.
Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.