Pirates

by David L. Harrison, Dan Burr

Glamorous, swashbuckling, daring adventurers? Pirates have had good publicity for a long time. But they were really a bunch of misfits, thugs, and ne'er-do-wells who spent most of their time bored, waiting for a few moments of excitement and rich booty that could very well get them wounded or killed, or captured and executed. Still, a pirate's life was chosen by many, and this poetry collection describes the highs and lows and everything in between for those who swore the oath of the Brotherhood.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Pirates, Realistic Fiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A variety of poems about the real life of pirates, with great illustrations and a short summary at the end.

My 7yo was less than impressed till I read them out loud, then was incredibly enthusiastic and joined in!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book full of pirate poetry is just the thing to motivate anyone to discover the real scoop about pirates. As the author says, “Gather ‘round ye scurvy mates,/I’m signing on a crew./You there! Can you tie a knot?/Ye’ll do.” This poem is a favorite with its repetition and strong voice. I can just hear the gravelly, sneery tone of the captain as he finds his crew! David Harrison creates a “story” that takes us from those who seem destined to be pirates (“they slept in places/roaches would snub”) to the beginnings on board, the rules (“Don’t even think of mutiny, I promise you’ll be shot”) and the endless boredom instead of the gold conquered, and the horrible food when the cook can’t cook. Blackbeard (“His name alone numbed men with fear: Blackbeard”) is here along with the young pirate who broke rules and is flogged with a cat o’ nine tails. David Harrison does include some excitement in the battles, but there are few scenes or words that might entice anyone to join the ranks of these seamen. The brief backmatter shares more information that’s interesting. Illustrations are gorgeous, realistic depictions of the sailors as well as the ships and the sea.

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great pairing of poetry and illustration! I especially liked how each double-page illustration framed the poem for the spread. The poetry follows a pirate's life, from signing on a ship to death from hanging. The poetry forms vary from poem to poem, some rhyming, some not. And always the contrast of the poetic form, the outstanding pictures with the viciousness of the characters, the evil on the faces and still the poetic language: "Sails shred, splinters fly, masts shatter, crush, burn: BOOM CRASH." "You've joined the Pirate Brotherhood, let no man here forget it. If you do, I promise you you'll live--if you live--to regret it."

Notes on "Here's how it was" end the book, followed by a bibliography.

[Spencer E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about the life of a pirate. The life of a pirate was hard. Pirates were bad guys that killed people when they robbed them. Pirates lived on ships. They sailed around looking for ships to destroy. They made up their own rules. If someone on the ship broke a rule they will get whipped, thrown into the ocean, or left on an island to die. It was stinky on the ship. Pirates got sick alot. I would not want to be a pirate because I would not want to be killed, hung, or put in prison. I would recommend this book because she watches the movie, Pirates of the Carribean.

[Diana R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think pirates is poetry because it has pirates and they really exict a long time ago and it has poems . My shema with the book is that my younger brother always wanted to be a pirate . My retelling is that there is a lot of good poems like IS CALLED GENTELEMEN IN THE BEACH they are fitghing for gold. The book is about pirates and there attaks and battles. My other favirote is last battle because it has onomanapia words and similes . Why did pirates and poems have in comon>? Why did the author write about pirates?I would like to remember is about all my favirote poms that the author wrote. I would recomend this book to MS. Yegge because she likes every book.

[Janet Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Shiver me timbers." Harrison's twenty poems in a variety of styles are rich with all the favorite pirate jargon as he sets sail on a voyage to show that a pirate's life wasn't all swashbuckling fun. Floggings and a life ended by the hangman's noose were real possibilities. Written at a sixth-grade level, this is a book designed for older audiences who are interested in pirates and will appreciate the language. The poetry would also be a good choice as a teacher read-aloud introduction to the subject or time period. Harrison completes his book with factual notes.

[Danna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another from the 2010/2011 Bluebonnet list. They always include a book of poetry, and I do love the illustrations. For the art alone I'd give it more stars, but the poetry seemed rather uninspired. The factoids about real pirates were well chosen, but the attempt to teach kids that pirates were criminals and did not lead glamorous or comfortable lives of glory and adventure fell flat. That being said, young reluctant readers will likely get a kick out of it.

[Steve Rush]

Boring. I mean really like pirates. The art work is awesome, but I would use it to help me write a paper about pirates. The pictures are have great details to them and help tell a great story. I find my mind wondering instead of reading the book.
So the story that is told in the book is what each person does or doesn't do on the ship. They show what they might have looked like during that time period. Of coarse there are pirates today, they just don't look like that anymore.

[Denis S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Pirates is wonderful Poetry book.Is hard to make a summery about a poem book it was about pirate life.Why are pirates were in life.I don't really have schema with pirats.I wan't to remember how were the life of pirates.Yes I woud reccomend this book to my cousin because he likes pirates and poetry.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way cool. Loved it. Illustrated magnificently with vivid, lifelike images that made me gasp out loud every time I turned the page. The narrative verse about a pirate crew from beginning to end was delightful and not too juvenile. I'll actually have it in my 7th and 8th grade classroom for the next Talk Like A Pirate Day, which always seems to coincide with my poetry unit anyway.

[Lindsey Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read through this book with my 7-year-old again last night, for the 100th time! We have been reading these poems together since he was four, and I love to hear him read and recite them now in his best pirate voice. It warms my heart. These poems are well-written, and the illustrations are nothing short of fantastic. One of my favorites!

[Cindy]

Pictures are fantastic.
The poems and story telling were very well done. I want to buy a copy of this book, i think fun conversation could arise. Each of the poems share a different aspect of 'a pirates life for me'. Doesn't glamorize the occupation and puts it into perspective. Again the illustrations are stellar.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, but the real draw here is illustrator Dan Burr's art. Realistic pirates and a concentration on how, for some, it was just a job. The poetry doesn't scan as well as I might like, but it's clearly a very lovely book to have in the collection.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lush illustrations gracefully offset a diverse collection of poems detailing the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of living a pirate's life. Excellent background information at the end of the book should be read to children prior to the first page.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book with information on what a pirate's life was really like. Not quite as glamorous as the movies make it seem. And the poems were cute. When I read them silently to myself, I read them with a pirate's accent! :)

[Zonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry complementes by fabulous illustrations.

[Karen Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to interest boys in poetry, this is the book for them

[Handd51 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the illustrations and the factual pieces, but the poetry is just blah.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's getting a three ... but only because the art was AWESOME. The poetry ... meh. One or two that were pretty good and the rest just sort of there.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh loves this Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee. The illustrations are incredible. Children here get to help vote on the Texas Bluebonnet books.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny and clever Pirate picture book! :)

[Sheila Richburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations lead the reader into the life of a pirate. Harrison informs the reader through poetry, that pirates are not heroes, instead, are merely thieves.

[Amanda Hlava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pirate book written in poems

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poems about pirates

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

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