You Wouldn't Want to Explore With Sir Francis Drake!: A Pirate You'd Rather Not Know

You Wouldn't Want to Be ...

by David Stewart, David Salariya, David Antram (Illustrator)

Get ready. . .you are a young chaplain on board the Golden Hinde, about to embark on a momentous journey. A life of danger and adventure lies ahead as you prepare to set sail with the most famous pirate of them all: Sir Francis Drake.

It's dangerous!

Top Tips from Experts:
*Bad breath and bleeding gums? You have scurvy! Eat plenty of fresh fruit.
*Sea lion oil is good for pimples. Eat mussel and seaweed stew too!
*Try to keep on the good side of Drake. He hates those who argue with him!
*Always treat your prisoners well. You never know when your positions might be reversed!
*To persuade a captured pilot to steer the ship, threaten to hang him!

Genres: History, Childrens, Nonfiction, Pirates

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction account of Sir Francis circumnavigating the globe is told from the chaplain who was aboard his ship during the voyage. There is plenty of hanging, pirating and killing in this account, none of it graphic. It is a little on the long side, but just right for kids 6 or 7 depending on maturity, maybe 8 for some. We see that Francis Drake did treat his enemies with dignity and fairness, but he also stole ships and had to war with natives who thought they were Spaniards by mistake. He stole ships, gold, silver, and most important, charts and maps, and anything else he found on his way home.

We see that Queen Elizabeth sanctioned his voyage on the down low. Spain did figure this out and they wanted to war with England, but Drake was part of the fighting force to stop them. This all took place around 1570 - 1590. I would assume this was the beginning of England’s dominance of the seas. Drake lost 4 ships that set out with him and he picked up two along the way.

It’s told with some humor and good fun so the story is interesting. The nephew thought it was a bit long, but he got interested in the story too. He thought the clothes were rather funny. In a cartoon way, it does show Drake lifting up a head from someone he just beheaded and the nephew thought that was gross, in a cool way. We do see that Drake was a complex figure in this account. Nephew gave this 3 stars

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too much information for a six-year-old, but she loved the highlights of murder and mayhem and bloodthirst. Sadly, just not as much of those bits as you might hope for in a book with Pirate in the subtitle.

Library copy

[Margo Dill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this series is fantastic and this is another great installment. I learned a lot about Sir Francis Drake in a fun and entertaining way, so imagine how kids will. The author does not gloss over the bad things that Sir Francis Drake or England (or Spain!) did back then in the name of the Queen, but he doesn't present it in a scary way either. Teachers and home school parents should GOBBLE UP THIS BOOK and others in the series!

[Diego Canales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I thought the book was a nice little snicket of history. In this book you explore the vast world of Sir Francis Drake. From going to event to fighting pirates this book is just wonderful. This book is fun to read and i recommend it but I cant say the same for the other ones. This one in particular interests me because of all the wonderful designs and the knowledge of what happened back then. I do indeed recommend 10/10

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice quick read for anyone wanting to know the general information behind Sir Francis Drake's voyages. Filled with great illustrations, this book is a nice read for any age.

[Ubalstecha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly, irreverant, but truthful look at Piracy in the Elizabeathsn Age for kids.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to Under Drake's Flag audio after reading this book :)

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would support the study of famous explorers.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a children's book, so just the basics are given. It was enough however that I am curious to learn more about Sir Francis Drake.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and educational book that puts you as the reader into the center of the story, so you can imagine what life in those times was like. It's a dramatic tale, explaining the motivations, challenges, and dangers faced by Captain Drake and his crew as they sought the northwest passage.

There are a lot of facts, but the text is arranged so that there are plenty of pictures to look at and it's not overwhelming. We enjoyed this book and will look for more of the books in the You Wouldn't Want To... series.

[Tanyaradzwa Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

twas really exciting and so straightforward that anyone wuld understand it.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dexter (11yo) read for school.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know Drake was an explorer, I thought he was just a rapper.

[Koravat(Ing) Vidhayapat · Rating 5 out of 5]

this man messed up so bad so he thought Cuba a country of blacks was Japan