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Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World
In 1963 Jane Yolen released a book called PIRATES IN PETTICOATS, because the idea of women as pirates fascinated her--but there wasn't much information about these women who made their livelihoods plundering on the high seas. Scholars have dug up a bounty of new information since then, and Jane, still fascinated, revisits the ladies who loot.
Discover such great pirates as Artemisia, the Admiral Queen of Persia who sailed the seas from 500 to 480 BC. At one point there was a 10,000 drachma prize for anyone who could capture her. There was Rachel Wall, who ran away from her strict upbringing and became a murderous pirate terrorizing the waters of the Atlantic coastline of America. She was hanged for her deeds. Possibly the most famous woman pirate of all was Grania O'Malley, daughter of an Irish chieftain. She plagued the English and was arrested several times, always gaining her freedom to pirate some more. Meet ten other female pirates on their ships, in battle, and in disguise in this intriguing look at the wayward women of the waves.
Christine Joy Pratt's pen-and-ink illustrations are alive with action and excitement. Here be a true and accurate account of the most low-down, scurviest--but the prettiest--black-hearted pirates you'll ever love to read about.
Discover such great pirates as Artemisia, the Admiral Queen of Persia who sailed the seas from 500 to 480 BC. At one point there was a 10,000 drachma prize for anyone who could capture her. There was Rachel Wall, who ran away from her strict upbringing and became a murderous pirate terrorizing the waters of the Atlantic coastline of America. She was hanged for her deeds. Possibly the most famous woman pirate of all was Grania O'Malley, daughter of an Irish chieftain. She plagued the English and was arrested several times, always gaining her freedom to pirate some more. Meet ten other female pirates on their ships, in battle, and in disguise in this intriguing look at the wayward women of the waves.
Christine Joy Pratt's pen-and-ink illustrations are alive with action and excitement. Here be a true and accurate account of the most low-down, scurviest--but the prettiest--black-hearted pirates you'll ever love to read about.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2008
2 people are currently reading
1370 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
971 books3,230 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 9, 2017
Moderately informative, given that information on pirate women is remarkably scarce, but with its blatant descriptions of people being beheaded, hangings, murder, and people being stabbed or tortured to death, Sea Queens hardly seems suitable for its intended audience (ages 7 to 10).
July 13, 2008
Do you remember that whole Girl Power craze roundabout ten or so years ago? It was the oddest thing. Girls were supposed to seek empowerment in an era of Spice Girls and Ally McBeal on the one hand while appreciating Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the other. The term "Girl Power" has long since faded, but the quest continues to find books for our future female leaders that contain ladies with pizzazz. Now the publishing industry is more than willing to churn out a million pretty pink princess books on the one hand and biographies of people like Harriet Tubman and Jane Goodall on the other. That's all well and good, but you know what the problems with these books are? They're all about the GOOD girls. The ones who took on the bad guys and kicked some serious tuchis (metaphorically, usually). I'm all for strong female characters that are pure as newly driven snow, but what about all the bad girls? Is there something to be gained from reading a book about ladies who killed, robbed, and broke the law with impunity? I think so. If boys get their fare share of true life pirate titles, it should be no different for the fairer sex. So gals, if you want to go out and lead a crew of rough and tumble men across the seven seas to fame and infamy, take a gander at Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World, and see how it's done. Just bear in mind that aside from all the moral implications, nine times out of ten you'll reach a nasty, sticky end.
Thirteen female pirates of varying infamy, villainy, and tenacity are presented in Jane Yolen's chronological listing of various deeds and misdeeds. After clearing up some piratical misconceptions and truths about the women who worked in that particular field (ballads, clothing, vocabulary, etc.) we launch into Artemisia Admiral-Queen (Persia: 500-480 B.C.) and it's smooth sailing from there on in (so to speak). Each section considers the rumors and legends of the pirate women, considering the truth and the things we can never know for sure. Illustrator Christine Joy Pratt fills the book with scratchboard illustrations that resemble woodcuts. The book actually clocks in at a mere 103 pages, and with its large font and copious pictures, sidebars, and notes of text it's actually ideal for kids reading early chapter books who aren't quite ready for 400 page non-fiction titles. A roundup of other female pirates, a five page Bibliography (including websites), and an Index finish up the book.
Jane Yolen is no stranger to the world of female piracy. From her 1963 Pirates in Petticoats to her 1995 picture book The Ballad of the Pirate Queens (both books about Ann Bonney and Mary Reade) to Commander Toad and the Space Pirates . . . wait . . . maybe scratch that last one. In any case she's clearly tread this ground before. What she hasn't done before is research some of the other cutlass bearing lasses out there. Plus I appreciated that at the beginning of this book Ms. Yolen took time to tell us where these "facts" came from. As she points out, few pirates wrote about their own adventures. "But there are trial documents, logbooks of navy captains, and depositions from captured pirates and their victims," which, such as they are, are as close to fact as we're going to get here. With its continual efforts to separate truth from fiction, the fear with this kind of book would be that you'd have a herky-jerky narrative that keeps you guessing. You might worry that the end result would leave you not knowing what, if anything, to believe. Fortunately Yolen has, in a sense, simplified these stories enough that rumors and facts go hand in hand. For example, the section on Charlotte de Berry of England contains a sidebar called "Truth or Fiction?" that draws attention to the fact that not only is this pirate potentially fictional, but may well have begun life as a penny dreadful. The proper text is filled with references to "Another version of the story" and what "supposedly" happened in her life. Kids will have no difficulty distinguishing out the real from the fun stories. The trick is that Yolen trusts them to understand the difference.
The real trouble with sticking to the facts is that you can't go about making stuff up. Looking at it, that is probably one of the more obvious statements I've ever written. But it's true! I mean, I sure do wish there were more women pirates in this book, but facts and the lack thereof make that just bit impossible. Yolen has actually created a Roundup of other women pirates "about whom little is known" which sates my curiosity to some extent. These include everyone from Gunpowder Gertie, the Pirate Queen of the Kootenays to Rusla the Norwegian princess. So while I would have liked to have seen a couple more ethnically diverse women pirates in this book, doggone reality keeps getting in my way.
When Charlesbridge thought about bringing an illustrator into this project I wonder if art that could look like woodcuts was a given right off the bat. The pictures featured in scratchboard format here seem a well suited fit to a swashbuckling work of non-fiction such as this. As for illustrator Christine Joy Pratt, she has several books under her belt but is still a relative newcomer to the world of children's books. Some of her best work has been on such kid-friendly periodicals as Cricket Magazine and Spider Magazine. There are some sections that are a little random, of course. For example, a bit on Illyrian Boats contains a picture of a very odd boat made up primarily of what look to be peculiar triangles and spares. I'm not quite sure what's going on in that picture. But while the illustrations in this title don't have the realism of, say, Dan Burr's work on the book Pirates, in this context and within this format they are nine times out of ten an ideal match.
Jane Yolen makes admirable work of immoral women. I don't know how your female pirate section of the library is looking these days, but mine's a tad skimpy. Backing up her sources all the way, Ms. Yolen's words coupled with Ms. Pratt's pretty pics render this a very readable, visually informative and fun piece of informational... uh... info. If you've a gal or two (or even a guy for that matter) prone to thwacking seafarers (read: siblings) with swords of their own making, perhaps a bit of female piratical knowledge is just what the doctor ordered. A glimpse into a world that will have you wanting more. Arrrrr!
Ages 8-15
Thirteen female pirates of varying infamy, villainy, and tenacity are presented in Jane Yolen's chronological listing of various deeds and misdeeds. After clearing up some piratical misconceptions and truths about the women who worked in that particular field (ballads, clothing, vocabulary, etc.) we launch into Artemisia Admiral-Queen (Persia: 500-480 B.C.) and it's smooth sailing from there on in (so to speak). Each section considers the rumors and legends of the pirate women, considering the truth and the things we can never know for sure. Illustrator Christine Joy Pratt fills the book with scratchboard illustrations that resemble woodcuts. The book actually clocks in at a mere 103 pages, and with its large font and copious pictures, sidebars, and notes of text it's actually ideal for kids reading early chapter books who aren't quite ready for 400 page non-fiction titles. A roundup of other female pirates, a five page Bibliography (including websites), and an Index finish up the book.
Jane Yolen is no stranger to the world of female piracy. From her 1963 Pirates in Petticoats to her 1995 picture book The Ballad of the Pirate Queens (both books about Ann Bonney and Mary Reade) to Commander Toad and the Space Pirates . . . wait . . . maybe scratch that last one. In any case she's clearly tread this ground before. What she hasn't done before is research some of the other cutlass bearing lasses out there. Plus I appreciated that at the beginning of this book Ms. Yolen took time to tell us where these "facts" came from. As she points out, few pirates wrote about their own adventures. "But there are trial documents, logbooks of navy captains, and depositions from captured pirates and their victims," which, such as they are, are as close to fact as we're going to get here. With its continual efforts to separate truth from fiction, the fear with this kind of book would be that you'd have a herky-jerky narrative that keeps you guessing. You might worry that the end result would leave you not knowing what, if anything, to believe. Fortunately Yolen has, in a sense, simplified these stories enough that rumors and facts go hand in hand. For example, the section on Charlotte de Berry of England contains a sidebar called "Truth or Fiction?" that draws attention to the fact that not only is this pirate potentially fictional, but may well have begun life as a penny dreadful. The proper text is filled with references to "Another version of the story" and what "supposedly" happened in her life. Kids will have no difficulty distinguishing out the real from the fun stories. The trick is that Yolen trusts them to understand the difference.
The real trouble with sticking to the facts is that you can't go about making stuff up. Looking at it, that is probably one of the more obvious statements I've ever written. But it's true! I mean, I sure do wish there were more women pirates in this book, but facts and the lack thereof make that just bit impossible. Yolen has actually created a Roundup of other women pirates "about whom little is known" which sates my curiosity to some extent. These include everyone from Gunpowder Gertie, the Pirate Queen of the Kootenays to Rusla the Norwegian princess. So while I would have liked to have seen a couple more ethnically diverse women pirates in this book, doggone reality keeps getting in my way.
When Charlesbridge thought about bringing an illustrator into this project I wonder if art that could look like woodcuts was a given right off the bat. The pictures featured in scratchboard format here seem a well suited fit to a swashbuckling work of non-fiction such as this. As for illustrator Christine Joy Pratt, she has several books under her belt but is still a relative newcomer to the world of children's books. Some of her best work has been on such kid-friendly periodicals as Cricket Magazine and Spider Magazine. There are some sections that are a little random, of course. For example, a bit on Illyrian Boats contains a picture of a very odd boat made up primarily of what look to be peculiar triangles and spares. I'm not quite sure what's going on in that picture. But while the illustrations in this title don't have the realism of, say, Dan Burr's work on the book Pirates, in this context and within this format they are nine times out of ten an ideal match.
Jane Yolen makes admirable work of immoral women. I don't know how your female pirate section of the library is looking these days, but mine's a tad skimpy. Backing up her sources all the way, Ms. Yolen's words coupled with Ms. Pratt's pretty pics render this a very readable, visually informative and fun piece of informational... uh... info. If you've a gal or two (or even a guy for that matter) prone to thwacking seafarers (read: siblings) with swords of their own making, perhaps a bit of female piratical knowledge is just what the doctor ordered. A glimpse into a world that will have you wanting more. Arrrrr!
Ages 8-15
October 29, 2016
Simplified-- as I believe it's targeted for younger readers-- accounts of individual female pirates from history/their legends. Interesting stories, written well and succinctly. A good starting point for my research!
June 10, 2024
I did not realize this was a kid's book LOL but at least I can look up these pirates now to learn the more salacious facts about their lives.
August 13, 2014
Yolen’s book is a collection of fact and folklore about female pirates throughout history, aimed at middle-grade and elementary students. It features rather nice pen and ink illustrations by Christine Joy Pratt, and also includes helpful factoids on the side, so it’s clearly very educational and should be given to all enterprising young scholars.
One of the things I liked best about it was that it included two non-Western pirates; a woman from China and a woman from Persia. Yolen also stuck carefully to her chronological progression, rather than geographical, which I think was all-in-all a good choice; while the history of female piracy by country would certainly be interesting, this gives a good portrait of the overall attitude towards piracy in general and female piracy in specific at the times in question.
It also seems to be well-researched; the bibliography is extensive, and the writing never uncertain. Yolen acknowledges provable fact and anecdotal legend nicely in-text even though it’s a book aimed at younger readers, which is great. I like that she does include the bibliography at the end, so interested readers know where to go for more information; it would’ve been even better if there were a sentence or two summarizing each resource. It’s hard to know where to begin with a list as long as that, and while the titles are helpful, it might prove overwhelming to an elementary student.
I was not, however, terribly impressed with the quality of the writing, which surprised me. As I said before, I’ve no complaints about the factual versus anecdotal evidence for each pirate, but the tone of the writing struck me as somewhat cloying and patronizing, particularly in the amount of repetition and statement of the obvious. The introduction is an excellent example of that - “A pirate is a robber who roams the oceans of the world. He thieves and pillages and murders. Above his ship flies the skull-and-crossbones flag.” It’d be a rare child who didn’t know what a pirate was.
The introduction goes on to state commonly-known piratical facts and then to enumerate exceptions to those rules, finally getting around to, “And not all pirates were men. Not all pirates were men? Yes, some of the greatest pirates ever known were women.” The title of this book is ‘Sea Queens’, and the subtitle is ‘Women Pirates Around the World’. If the kid doesn’t already know that some pirates were not men, there is something seriously odd going on here, and this problem with repetition in both content and sentence structure continues throughout the entire work.
On the whole it’s a good, well-researched book, and the subject’s interesting and informative and provides a good counterpoint to the heavily-male-dominated pirate narrative in contemporary media. The illustrations are interesting and compelling. However, it’s definitely an introduction to the material, and kids older than eight or nine are probably going to be frustrated by the tone.
tl;dr - good for younger kids, not so good for older ones, but the bibliography in the back may give you some resources for your teenagers if they happen to be interested in the subject. Warnings for the usual pirate-related violence, though it’s of course toned down a lot in this book.
One of the things I liked best about it was that it included two non-Western pirates; a woman from China and a woman from Persia. Yolen also stuck carefully to her chronological progression, rather than geographical, which I think was all-in-all a good choice; while the history of female piracy by country would certainly be interesting, this gives a good portrait of the overall attitude towards piracy in general and female piracy in specific at the times in question.
It also seems to be well-researched; the bibliography is extensive, and the writing never uncertain. Yolen acknowledges provable fact and anecdotal legend nicely in-text even though it’s a book aimed at younger readers, which is great. I like that she does include the bibliography at the end, so interested readers know where to go for more information; it would’ve been even better if there were a sentence or two summarizing each resource. It’s hard to know where to begin with a list as long as that, and while the titles are helpful, it might prove overwhelming to an elementary student.
I was not, however, terribly impressed with the quality of the writing, which surprised me. As I said before, I’ve no complaints about the factual versus anecdotal evidence for each pirate, but the tone of the writing struck me as somewhat cloying and patronizing, particularly in the amount of repetition and statement of the obvious. The introduction is an excellent example of that - “A pirate is a robber who roams the oceans of the world. He thieves and pillages and murders. Above his ship flies the skull-and-crossbones flag.” It’d be a rare child who didn’t know what a pirate was.
The introduction goes on to state commonly-known piratical facts and then to enumerate exceptions to those rules, finally getting around to, “And not all pirates were men. Not all pirates were men? Yes, some of the greatest pirates ever known were women.” The title of this book is ‘Sea Queens’, and the subtitle is ‘Women Pirates Around the World’. If the kid doesn’t already know that some pirates were not men, there is something seriously odd going on here, and this problem with repetition in both content and sentence structure continues throughout the entire work.
On the whole it’s a good, well-researched book, and the subject’s interesting and informative and provides a good counterpoint to the heavily-male-dominated pirate narrative in contemporary media. The illustrations are interesting and compelling. However, it’s definitely an introduction to the material, and kids older than eight or nine are probably going to be frustrated by the tone.
tl;dr - good for younger kids, not so good for older ones, but the bibliography in the back may give you some resources for your teenagers if they happen to be interested in the subject. Warnings for the usual pirate-related violence, though it’s of course toned down a lot in this book.
May 12, 2014
I came across this book in the midst of my "where the heck are women in history?" kick. This came up as a recommended resource on lady pirates, so I picked it up from my library.
The book is, indeed, full of information, much of which I didn't know or that I found out from someone who'd read it in this book. It discusses several women pirates, starting well before the time period we normally associate with piracy. Women escaped arranged marriages or lives of prostitution by taking to the sea, and they didn't all have to hide their genders.
The book covers a decent range of time periods and places, but it lacks depth. It's an introductory book for younger readers, not a primary reference. It definitely gets the point across that pirates weren't all male, nor did women pirates have to be a particular type of woman. But this book is a jumping-off point, not where your research should end.
I've always found Jane Yolen's style engaging and easy to follow without talking down to her younger readers. This book is no exception. Once I got past the large print and vivid illustrations, I lost my embarrassment at reading a "kid's book". It's written to be understood by an eight-year-old, and it softens some of the rougher realities of piracy for its younger intended audience. But it's not so childish that parents wanting to screen it for their younger readers would grow impatient with it.
I recommend this to any young readers interested in pirates, and who want to hear more of the story than what's commonly depicted.
The book is, indeed, full of information, much of which I didn't know or that I found out from someone who'd read it in this book. It discusses several women pirates, starting well before the time period we normally associate with piracy. Women escaped arranged marriages or lives of prostitution by taking to the sea, and they didn't all have to hide their genders.
The book covers a decent range of time periods and places, but it lacks depth. It's an introductory book for younger readers, not a primary reference. It definitely gets the point across that pirates weren't all male, nor did women pirates have to be a particular type of woman. But this book is a jumping-off point, not where your research should end.
I've always found Jane Yolen's style engaging and easy to follow without talking down to her younger readers. This book is no exception. Once I got past the large print and vivid illustrations, I lost my embarrassment at reading a "kid's book". It's written to be understood by an eight-year-old, and it softens some of the rougher realities of piracy for its younger intended audience. But it's not so childish that parents wanting to screen it for their younger readers would grow impatient with it.
I recommend this to any young readers interested in pirates, and who want to hear more of the story than what's commonly depicted.
January 26, 2015
Although this is a picture book for children, Yolen's research on female pirates is quite good. She sticks with the facts and does not embroider her tales with fanciful notions passed down from pseudo-history. For example, it's often cited that Anne Bonney and Mary Reade were lesbian lovers, but that's probably just wishful thinking. There's no evidence of such. Yolen doesn't glamourize her subjects. Most were murderers and thieves and only a handful inspire any sympathy as to their ultimate fate (mostly hanging).
xx-dnf-skim-reference
January 8, 2020I'm still not convinced that I am a fan of pirates, irl or in fiction, historical or contemporary. I still don't understand others' fascination. However, if you are fascinated, this book is not only a set of mini-bios about some better-known female pirates, but it has history, glossary, bibliography, note, index, and illustrations, and so I can recommend it.
I have begun to wonder, though, if some (not all, of course) women in history who dared to make their way in men's careers were transgender, or non-binary, or otherwise queer. I know that I identify as queer, and have done a lot of things expected of males but not of females (of my generation, at least). Hm. Anyway, that's off-tangent. I didn't read this book, just examined it, but I don't think that she addresses that issue.
I have begun to wonder, though, if some (not all, of course) women in history who dared to make their way in men's careers were transgender, or non-binary, or otherwise queer. I know that I identify as queer, and have done a lot of things expected of males but not of females (of my generation, at least). Hm. Anyway, that's off-tangent. I didn't read this book, just examined it, but I don't think that she addresses that issue.
April 10, 2019
Some truly eye catching illustrations spice up this book that insists on sticking to the probable facts.
April 10, 2021
I loved it. Beautiful illustrations and very "direct to the point" book. Of course there isn't much to say about woman pirates because nothing is really proven.
This book is an excellent summary of the pirate women who marked history. It was exactly what I was looking for when I bought it.
This book is an excellent summary of the pirate women who marked history. It was exactly what I was looking for when I bought it.
September 2, 2016
It was very short and I felt like there could have been more details? Like Jeanne De Clisson, there is definitely more to be said about her. Same with Charlotte de Berry. And Charlotte Badger could have had more than a footnote for sure! But I'm happy anyway cause of the 12 pirates that got their own sections there were 4 had never heard of so now I have some new pirate ladies to research!
February 14, 2016
My daughter loves pirates so I thought this would be a great book for her. We read it together and she got bored quickly with it. The stories are quick bits and pieces of each pirates of the pirates life. We will stick to reading aloud from Edward Rowe Snow even though the chapters are longer.
November 7, 2025
This was a fascinating, quick read. I read Female Tars by Suzanne J. Stark several years ago, and this is an excellent companion. Yolen's book is aimed at younger readers, so doesn't touch on some of the skeevier aspects of things that Stark wrote about. And its focus is more specifically on women who became pirates, not just women who traveled on sailing ships. Anyway. It's full of colorful characters and reminders that A) the past was terrible and B) the past was so much weirder than it is presented in school books and Golden Age Hollywood movies.
As a tabletop roleplaying enthusiast, I couldn't help but think of ways to work these people into my games. Certainly, if I ever run Ars Magica again, Jeanne de Belleville needs to show up. And Grania O'Malley? I don't know. But I've got to find some way to bring her into a game. Call of Cthulhu maybe? I don't normally get down with the Elizabethan era. But let's dance, I guess.
Something that Female Tars put into perspective and this book reinforces for me is that, like so many things, a lot of ideas we have about how "things always were" were invented in the 1800s or thereabouts. That goes double if it's about women. And that includes women on ships in the Age of Sale and before. Reading through this book, I was put in mind of how the American West of the so-called "Wild West" era was much more egalitarian, diverse, and nuanced than we often see presented in film. And that seems largely true of "The Sea" before the age of ironclads. Folks went to sea for a lot of reasons, but for many, it was an escape from the various structures and hierarchies that dominated land. It was a place to transcend and transgress. Fascinating stuff. The stuff of drama and legends.
All that said. This is a good one. A springboard for reading further on these people, their times and places. I like that Yolen didn't just stick with the Age of Sale, too. She went back to Ancient Persia, and East to China.
Also, I love Christine Joy Pratt's art. It looks like woodcut, but I assume it's scratchboard. Whatever the case, it's great and does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the subject.
As a tabletop roleplaying enthusiast, I couldn't help but think of ways to work these people into my games. Certainly, if I ever run Ars Magica again, Jeanne de Belleville needs to show up. And Grania O'Malley? I don't know. But I've got to find some way to bring her into a game. Call of Cthulhu maybe? I don't normally get down with the Elizabethan era. But let's dance, I guess.
Something that Female Tars put into perspective and this book reinforces for me is that, like so many things, a lot of ideas we have about how "things always were" were invented in the 1800s or thereabouts. That goes double if it's about women. And that includes women on ships in the Age of Sale and before. Reading through this book, I was put in mind of how the American West of the so-called "Wild West" era was much more egalitarian, diverse, and nuanced than we often see presented in film. And that seems largely true of "The Sea" before the age of ironclads. Folks went to sea for a lot of reasons, but for many, it was an escape from the various structures and hierarchies that dominated land. It was a place to transcend and transgress. Fascinating stuff. The stuff of drama and legends.
All that said. This is a good one. A springboard for reading further on these people, their times and places. I like that Yolen didn't just stick with the Age of Sale, too. She went back to Ancient Persia, and East to China.
Also, I love Christine Joy Pratt's art. It looks like woodcut, but I assume it's scratchboard. Whatever the case, it's great and does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the subject.
February 28, 2019
Ok, so I freely admit I wasn't paying very good attention when I ordered this book. I had heard it recommended for women's history on pirating and thought that an interesting topic so I got it. What I didn't realize was that this was not a historical book for adults, it was for kids. Or at least I think it is.
My main problem with this book is that I can't really figure out the intended age group. The font size and illustrations seem to point to grade school levels of readings, but the topic matter and some of the violence and private lives of the pirates seems to point to middle school and above levels of maturity.
I found everything quite interesting. But wished there had been more detail and if they were going to describe gruesome punishments, at least let me know more about the lives and pirating that happened with those characters. I think the longest account was four to five pages for one pirate and at most there was just a page for the majority of them. There were also little vignettes of pirate lore in the margins.
Some of the pirates I had heard of before, from tv history series, but I feel like there was more information in those series than what was in this book. Again, since it was for children that's probably why it was so shortened, but it definitely left me wanting more and unsatisfied with the book.
Ok book, more detail would have been welcome.
Review by M. Reynard 2019
My main problem with this book is that I can't really figure out the intended age group. The font size and illustrations seem to point to grade school levels of readings, but the topic matter and some of the violence and private lives of the pirates seems to point to middle school and above levels of maturity.
I found everything quite interesting. But wished there had been more detail and if they were going to describe gruesome punishments, at least let me know more about the lives and pirating that happened with those characters. I think the longest account was four to five pages for one pirate and at most there was just a page for the majority of them. There were also little vignettes of pirate lore in the margins.
Some of the pirates I had heard of before, from tv history series, but I feel like there was more information in those series than what was in this book. Again, since it was for children that's probably why it was so shortened, but it definitely left me wanting more and unsatisfied with the book.
Ok book, more detail would have been welcome.
Review by M. Reynard 2019
February 25, 2021
Sea Queens: Woman Pirates Around the World is a children's level retelling of pirate lore regarding women sailors, pirates, and leaders. It read like a lower level version of Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas, which I read earlier this year. As always, Jane Yolen's writing is a joy; she has a talent for writing clearly and in such a way that feels respectful of childrens' ability to grasp meaning and concepts. Despite being a book meant for children - I would say the target age group here is elementary school aged - the stories don't have a 'dumbed down' feel to them and - in spite of being far outside the target age group - I enjoyed the book. I also really liked the woodcut-esque illustrations used in the text; it fit really well with the subject matter and helped to reinforce the idea of the time periods in which many of these women lived. All in all, Sea Queens is an excellent book and it one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to a child, especially one interested in this topic.
December 9, 2020
I'm sure I'm not alone in loving stories of women pirates throughout history, and I'm always thrilled to read about more. Sea Queens is a fun middle-grade nonfiction book that centres the stories of 13 women pirates throughout history, and includes additional information as well as an additional section of women pirates the author had less information on. It offers up plenty of information, and also makes it clear when unreliable sources are being used. It also features pirates that are fairly well known (such as Anne Bonney and Mary Read, Grace O'Malley, Ching Shih), as well as pirates that will likely be less familiar to the average reader (such as Teuta, Lady Killigrew, Rachel Wall). It was fun to read, and I'm glad I had the chance to. Anyone else who shares my fascination with pirates, especially women pirates, will find themselves enjoying this introductory work.
July 12, 2021
This book was so much fun! I absolutely loved learning about the lady swashbucklers from throughout history. This book was well-done and well-written. One thing I really loved and appreciated was that it mentioned frequently which parts of the stories "were just legend" or "we weren't really sure about", which I think is SO important when dealing with a subject that has been the center of as much legend and lore as piracy.
If you're going to read this to kids, I would definitely preview it first. There is a fair amount of violence, which is to be expected for the subject matter, and also mentions of things such as female pirates revealing their gender by tearing their shirts open. To me as an adult woman none of this bothered me, but it is definitely something to consider before handing it to a child or teen.
If you're going to read this to kids, I would definitely preview it first. There is a fair amount of violence, which is to be expected for the subject matter, and also mentions of things such as female pirates revealing their gender by tearing their shirts open. To me as an adult woman none of this bothered me, but it is definitely something to consider before handing it to a child or teen.
August 5, 2024
Diablos, al final me hice pesada!🙅♀️
Recién acabé este libro que me llamó la atención en su momento. ¿Por qué?
-Trata sobre algo tan desconocido como fue el papel de las mujeres en la piratería.
-Estoy escribiendo un libro que tiene una mujer pirata (Miramar por si os interesa😂)
¡NECESITABA FUENTES!
🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷
Y bien que las tiene. Es un libro súper completo, con bellas ilustraciones que acompañan a historias de muchas mujeres intrépidas que se hicieron a la mar en circunstancias bastante complicadas. Historias como la de Madame Ching(la pirata más exitosa de todos los tiempos), las famosas Anne Bonney y Mary Read, Grania O Malley...
🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷
Todo acompañado de información aclaratoria y relacionada con el mundillo de estas famosos bucaneras. Recomendadísimo, se nota que es un libro trabajado y echo con mucho cariño y esmero!!
Recién acabé este libro que me llamó la atención en su momento. ¿Por qué?
-Trata sobre algo tan desconocido como fue el papel de las mujeres en la piratería.
-Estoy escribiendo un libro que tiene una mujer pirata (Miramar por si os interesa😂)
¡NECESITABA FUENTES!
🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷
Y bien que las tiene. Es un libro súper completo, con bellas ilustraciones que acompañan a historias de muchas mujeres intrépidas que se hicieron a la mar en circunstancias bastante complicadas. Historias como la de Madame Ching(la pirata más exitosa de todos los tiempos), las famosas Anne Bonney y Mary Read, Grania O Malley...
🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷🏴☠️🙆♀️🌷
Todo acompañado de información aclaratoria y relacionada con el mundillo de estas famosos bucaneras. Recomendadísimo, se nota que es un libro trabajado y echo con mucho cariño y esmero!!
October 13, 2017
If there was a way to give this book more than five stars, I would. It's probably my go-to for every International Talk Like a Pirate Day and Women's History Month and any time I need to reference strong women. My "reading" name came about because of this book.
My love of pirates didn't happen because of this book, though. I've been a fan of pirates long before I learned of these sea queens. But discovering that there were women beyond Mary Read and Anne Bonny was fascinating, even if it did require me to do some research on my own, as I had never heard of many of these women, thanks to the history books.
Kudos to Ms. Yolen for bringing them to our attention!
My love of pirates didn't happen because of this book, though. I've been a fan of pirates long before I learned of these sea queens. But discovering that there were women beyond Mary Read and Anne Bonny was fascinating, even if it did require me to do some research on my own, as I had never heard of many of these women, thanks to the history books.
Kudos to Ms. Yolen for bringing them to our attention!
November 1, 2019
Jane Yolen is brilliant! This short book (104 pages, including bibliography, suggested websites, index, illustrations) manages to highlight thirteen women pirates, from Artemesia of Persia (500 - 480 BC) to Madame Ching of China (early nineteenth century). Facts are distinguished from fiction, legend, and ballad. Sources are detailed. Helpful background information is given in sidebars. And the lively pen and ink on scratchboard illustrations by Christine Joy Pratt are perfect. Appropriate for middle-grade readers, the book is also excellent for adults who want a quick overview of the subject or a starting point for further research.
January 31, 2018
This is a book meant mostly for kids. Jane Yolen and illustrator Christine Joy Pratt have created biographies of some of the female pirates we know the most about. Some biographies have more information than others, based on what is available in the historical record. Yolen also made sure to add some basic terminology and an introduction to what exactly piracy is, including a brief overview of the different politics of poverty. If you or your child are interested in pirates and/or the history of women, this is a great book to read.
November 28, 2025
CONTENTS:
ARTEMISIA: ADMIRAL-QUEEN, Persia, 500-480 BC
QUEEN TEUTA: Illyria, circa 230 BC
ALFHILD: Denmark, ninth century
JEANNE DE BELLEVILLE, Brittany, fourteenth century
GRANIA O’MALLERY, Ireland, sixteenth century
LADY KILLIGREW, England, late sixteenth century
PRETTY PEG and the DUTCH PRIVATEER, Holland, seventeenth century
CHARLOTTE DE BERRY, England, mid-seventeenth century
ANNE BONNEY and MARY READ, American Colonies, early eighteenth century
RACHEL WALL, United States of America, late eighteenth century
MARY ANNE TALBOT, England, late eighteenth century
MADAME CHING, China, early nineteenth century.
ARTEMISIA: ADMIRAL-QUEEN, Persia, 500-480 BC
QUEEN TEUTA: Illyria, circa 230 BC
ALFHILD: Denmark, ninth century
JEANNE DE BELLEVILLE, Brittany, fourteenth century
GRANIA O’MALLERY, Ireland, sixteenth century
LADY KILLIGREW, England, late sixteenth century
PRETTY PEG and the DUTCH PRIVATEER, Holland, seventeenth century
CHARLOTTE DE BERRY, England, mid-seventeenth century
ANNE BONNEY and MARY READ, American Colonies, early eighteenth century
RACHEL WALL, United States of America, late eighteenth century
MARY ANNE TALBOT, England, late eighteenth century
MADAME CHING, China, early nineteenth century.
January 16, 2019
Be awestruck at these women warriors of the sea, their strength, resilience, adventures...Jane Yolen is a master at bringing these rare types of stories to young readers. Empower your young girls (perhaps eliminate some of the gore), read them to the young boys and show them what the femme can really do and be! Excellent material to relish in.
October 2, 2019
Jane Yolen has the unique ability to take a mountain of scholarship and reduce it down to an easily digestible story. I love the stories, sidebars, and illustrations in this book sharing stories of women pirates and I love that she researched successful pirates in Eastern and Western traditions.
October 28, 2019
I love the historical information on these strong adventurous women.
Written well. We need more. Enjoyed sharing this with my 18 year old daughter. Proof that strong women have more than just peppered history.
Written well. We need more. Enjoyed sharing this with my 18 year old daughter. Proof that strong women have more than just peppered history.
June 7, 2020
Short profiles of women pirates through the ages, with some perhaps more folktale than real; information is limited as most of these women did not write letters or keep diaries. Includes definitions of terms associated with pirates
August 24, 2022
Offers brief bios of women pirates throughout history. Most of the women mentioned can be found in any book on women pirates, and some of the bios were so brief they hardly felt worth reading. But children who are interested in women pirates will probably find this interesting and easy to read.
April 24, 2024
Another one of Jane Yolen's books that I am not that impressed with. She could have included other female pirates from more places. I'd hardly call Madame Ching and her crews 'pesky.' Nor do I think Queen Teuta made a mistake attacking Roman ships, she was well within her right to do so.
December 24, 2024
Not a lot of solid information, which makes sense, but what Jane Yolen does know, she conveys well. The illustrations by Christine Joy Pratt are beautiful and bold, which is entirely appropriate for the subject matter. This is a fun book for a bit of light reading.
September 13, 2018
Great for our pirate display and elementary/intermediate class visits to libraries.
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