Edward and the Pirates

Edward #2

by David McPhail

Reading everything he can after learning how to read, young Edward finds his imagination soaring and particularly enjoys adventure stories, and one day he wakes up to find himself surrounded by pirates.

Genres: Picture Books, Pirates, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Books About Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

David was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts and attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. While there, he began illustrating. He is now an award-winning author and illustrator of nearly 200 books beloved by children, parents and librarians across the United States. McPhail has garnered many prestigious awards, including a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year for Mole Music in 2001. McPhail’s other books include First Flight, which the New York Times praised as “hilarious and helpful”; and Lost!, which was chosen as an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

McPhail has four children, three stepchildren, and is a proud grandfather. He is married to Jan Waldron, with whom he has written and illustrated several books. He lives in Rye, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward, the young boy who helped Santa in author/illustrator David McPhail's holiday picture-book, Santa's Book of Names , returns in this second adventure. Now a more accomplished reader, Edward enjoys texts of all kinds, from the cereal box to the community monument. He especially likes to read the many books he takes out of the library. When he falls asleep with his latest - "Lost Pirate Treasure" - he has a fantastical dream involving a band of pirates demanding the book, and his mother (as Joan of Arc) and father (as Robin Hood) coming to his rescue...

As a book-lover who haunted my local library as a child, I took Edward and the Pirates completely to heart! I appreciated the way that the stories Edward reads come alive for him, and the way he puts himself into each narrative, participating through imaginative play. I also greatly enjoyed the artwork, which is a little dark in tone at first, but which also has a lovely luminous quality to it. I haven't read the earlier book about Edward, as I was unaware when I picked this one up that it was part of a series. That said, given how much I enjoyed this one, I would definitely like to track it down. Recommended to young book and story lovers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about the magic of reading.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative and unique story!

I enjoyed it, and every pirate fan and book lover will too. (Yes, book lover!) So parents, if you want to inspire your children to read and to comprehend the delight of books, start here!

Ages: 4 - 8

Here’s a few of our bedtime favs: watch my reel!

Content Considerations: nothing to note.

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[Rachel Showalter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once Edward embarked on the great journey of learning how to read, there was no stopping him. He quickly fell into the love of reading and it helped him really grow with his imagination. So much so, that one day he woke up surrounded by pirates.
Edward and the Pirates was written in a third person point of view. I, as a reader, knew what his thoughts were and his feelings but I was being told to story as opposed to being in the story. The setting of the book is at first in his house. However, the setting changes depending on his imagination. For example, he went dog sledding in the north pole, or in robin hoods story. The setting does at one point take place in the school’s library. Where Edward expands his imagination even more.
In the first opening of the book, the perceptual element is there is a young boy, a dad and a mom. They are all sitting at a table and the father is reading the newspaper while the mother is doing a crossword and drinking coffee. Edward is eating cereal while reading the cereal box. The structural element of the story is that the characters seem to all be very separated and not taking part in the typical behaviors that a family would have at a dinner table.

[Dani K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Once Edward learned to read, there was no stopping him.” Thus starts the story of Edward and the Pirates. And read he does. Edward simply consumes reading material. From books to cereal boxes to the inscriptions on statues, he just can’t get enough of reading. But Edward doesn’t just read books, he experiences them. His imagination transports him into the pages with such clarity that the line between book and reality begins to blur.

One day, Edward discovers a lost book at his local library: Lost Pirate Treasure. After reading the first line, Edward is hooked. He reads throughout the day, and into the night. But Edward isn’t the only one who wants the book. In the middle of the night, a crew of pirates arrives and tries to claim the book for themselves.

While Edward and the Pirates is a sweet story about a child’s discovery and love of reading, I don’t know that it necessarily inspires such a love of reading itself. The opening line doesn’t particularly hook the reader, a concept that this book suggests is important since it is a first line that causes Edward to become engrossed in Lost Pirate Treasure. Also, it is fairly slow moving. The adventure doesn’t begin until half way through the book and the action never leaves Edward’s bedroom. Perhaps, it is the expectation created by the word “pirates,” but I expected more action and swashbuckling.

In fact, the whole book has a sleepy/dream like quality to it. In addition to the pacing, the pictures are soft edged and the colors are muted. Several of the illustrations are not squared off, but rather have wobbly edges like dream bubbles in a comic book. In addition, to these softer, dreamy aspects, the images are also highly detailed with a great deal of the story telling going on in the background. Often, Edward’s imaginings break away from the confines of the book and into the “real world.” This is a nice touch because it is reminiscent of how good stories tend to stick with us.

Clearly, we don’t read books in a vacuum and my reading of this text is most certainly colored by the fact that I read Amazing Grace just moments before (which is a truly vibrant story). All in all, it is a good book with a genuine and heartfelt message.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the story, Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail. The story is about a boy named Edward who likes to read adventure stories. Edward has a great imagination and his stories can take him anywhere. The book does a good job of combining the adventures of pirates with the adventures of reading.

Edward and the Pirates was a good book but I had a difficult time being excited about it. The book is well written and the illustrations are very detailed, yet I it is not one of my favorites. One of the reasons I think I feel this way is because Edward was reluctant to share his book with the pirates even after the pirates offered to share their treasure with him. If I used this book in my classroom I would use it as an opportunity to teach children the value of being protective of their library books but also understand the value of reading books with one another and sharing the stories within them.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy who loves to read checks out a book about pirate treasure, and soon has pirates in his bedroom hounding him for the book. His parents come to his aid as Joan of Arc and Robin Hood, but when the boy acquiesces and gives the pirates the book, he discovers that none of them can read. He happily reads to them.

[Becker Children · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story that really appealed to the children. My only issue was the illustrations all seemed so dark; I felt like I had to keep squinting to try to see them. I know it’s mostly set indoors and/or evening, and it’s a somewhat impressionist style, but the combination of dark and blurred made me feel like I was going blind. The children had no complaints, however!

[Owen & Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think the story line of this book was very well-developed. Also, the illustrations were quite dark and a little scary for young kids.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and imaginative.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a little boy and his wild imagination when he reads. Kind of reminded me of the short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber. While it was fun, I felt that it fell a little flat at the end. I wanted Edward to be whisked away into the story and save the day in some heroic way. I know being able to read was a nice twist. I still enjoyed it, but just thought it would have had a more slam-bang finish. But I guess that's how a lot of stories go. Good beginnings don't always end up with equally brilliant endings. My rating - 3/5

[Breyanna Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a young boy name Edward learns how to read he can’t seem to stop reading. Whenever he would read the books the characters would come alive and he would be right in the stories themselves. Great story about imagination!

[Evan Fedewa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Fiction

One Unique Feature: How the main character is willing to go up and above to read for anyone who doesn't know how to read. What a great example for the students who read this book.

Grade Level Suggested: 1st-4th grade

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book! So many mini lessons!
The illustrations are a bit too dark but are very engaging nevertheless. Great suspense for kids. Wonderful trip in the imagination. I can almost hear myself being unwilling to hand over a book charged out on my library card!

[Kimberly]

3-5 sentences on some pages. Large, older, more blurry illustration style. It's more of an older book. About a young boy who loves to read and who gets a visit from pirates in his room and he helps them read to find their treasure. Good family protection with parents mentioned.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

#literacy #pirates
Very cute book about learning to read and encountering the pirates of the books you're reading and finding out they can't read! Ideal for a beginner reader.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t decide on 3 or 4 starts out of 5. It’s perfectly decent with some good artwork that has character to it. No real complaints, just that overall the book isn’t exceptional. Good, though.

[Evan Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was funny that a pirate was watching Edward and the librarian never noticed the pirate! I also liked this book because I love going to the library. I always wanted my own library card.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations, as well as the story and the ending!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Storytime read.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cute story but we didn’t love the darkness of the illustrations.

[Annie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute narrative, but illustrations were so-so.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was fine. But I dinged the book as a whole because the illustrations are so dark.

[Rob McGrory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love David McPhail's works. I was saddened to read that his son, who inspired the character of Edward, passed away in 2014. May his memory live on in this cute story!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 3 year old would probably give this book 4 or 5 stars. The story is interesting, but the art style felt a bit dated. I like that this book encourages kids to learn how to read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward checks out a book about a lost treasure and pirates show up demanding the book. However, since the book is checked out on his library card he can not give the book to them. Then he finds out the pirates can not read. He reads the book to the pirates.

[Logan Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Reflection:
The book, Edward and the Pirates, by David McPhail was a very unique and innovative storybook. The book is a fantasy book that is based on a young boy who adored reading. He read so much, that he often felt as if he was emerged into the story and was experiencing it himself. The amount of imagination that was in the book was very intriguing for me as a reader. The illustrations were unlike any I have ever ever seen in previous picture books. They were very well done and the variety of contrasts in color symbolized the mood at different points in the story. It was also very cool to witness how the author incorporated different famous stories from the past such as Robin Hood and the story of Joan of Arc who led her troops to victory. It begins by Edward checking a book out at the library that is about pirates. The pirates then confront him because they believe that the book he checked out is a treasure map. Edward then becomes the hero by refusing to give the book to the pirates because they must wait until he checks it back into the library. The book is concluded by his parents saving him dressed as Robin Hood and a knight. He then discovers that the pirates don't know how to read. Edward then begins to read to them and the books ends by him starting by saying "Some pirate treasure has never been found...".

Purpose/Use in Classroom:
This is a book that is meant for younger grades that range from Kindergarten to 2nd grade. This would be especially special for children for younger grades that are just beginning to learn to read. The book instills a love for reading into the reader by expressing Edward's passion for reading. This would be a great book to introduce the genre of fantasy in a classroom because of how the story progresses from reality into the book Edward checked out. Librarians could use it as well for a read aloud book to show students that they are responsible for the books they check out. The book lacked figurative language, but did contain a decent amount of good vocabulary that would be helpful for students to decipher by using context clues. This would also be an outstanding book for independent reading whether you like to read or not. This unique story will cause the reader feel as if they are there with Edward themselves learning to love to read.

[Daniella Variale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a young boy named Edward who is ecstatic about reading. He will read anything and everything he can find. When he reads books, he imagines himself right in the midst of all the action. He even sometimes feels like the books come to life, exemplified by the dinosaur that he thought he saw out his window as he read about such creatures. After he picks up a dusky, old book at the library about pirate treasure, he finds pirates bombarding his room that night in search of the book to see if it can lead them to treasure. In addition to the pirates in his bedroom, other literary characters come to his aid to defend against the pirates before they all come to a peaceful agreement.
Overall, this book was a good read, but it did start off slow. The idea of pirates is not introduced until halfway through the book. The slower beginning is important because it introduces Edward's attitude toward reading, the literary characters that enter his room after the pirates, and how the things he reads about come to life; however, perhaps these things could have been shortened in ordered to focus on the main idea of the story--pirates!
Once the book finally gets to the introduction of pirates and treasure, Edward read the first line of the book: "Some pirate treasure has never been found..." Since the main idea of the story starts this way, I thought the book ended well by having Edward read the same line out loud to the pirates. It brought the book full circle so that the ending reflected back to the beginning, which is a literary ending that never gets old.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was in the library at the school where I teach this afternoon, I happened to read the title of this book on its spine where it was positioned on the shelf. Since it had something to do with pirates, I thought it would be perfect to use as a listening book this week, seeing as I just got home from the eastern Carribbean which is known for the pirates who traveled there. To my complete surprise, I LOVED this book! It begins with a boy named Edward who has just learned to read. Now he reads absolutely everything he can get his hands on, including the seed catalogues that come in the mail and the cereal boxes on his kitchen table. When Edward reads such classics as Robin Hood and Joan of Arc, he imagines himself within the books, right alongside the characters. He spends a lot of his time, unsurprisingly, at one of his favorite places: the library! It is here that he finds an old book about pirates which comes to life in a whole different way for him than any of the others. You will have to check it out in order to learn what happens. I am always trying to instill a love of literature and a passion for books within my second grade students, and feel this does a great job of that!

[Taylor Ford]

Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail was a great example of a fantasy book. This book was about a boy named Edward, who loved to read anything he could get his hands on. He read so much, he often struggled with drawing the line between reality and what he read in one of his books. Edward had an imagination like no other, which is why he loved to read so much. He can imagine himself right in the middle of the story, and pretend that the book is actually happening in real life. One day Edward picked up a dusty old book, and then pirates came into his room looking for treasure! Edward has to find a way to keep the peace with the pirates and other characters from the book. I believe this book was a good example of a fantasy book because Edward imagined there to be things like pirates and dinosaurs in real life with him. It is almost every child's dream to be able to experience pirates and dinosaurs first hand just as Edward did. The illustrations in the book were also very whimsical and fun to look at as I read the book. I would suggest reading this to young children because the book stresses the importance of imagination, as well as getting the message across that reading can be fun!

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the part that reading, libraries, and imagination play in this book. At first glance, I didn't think the pictures would be too entertaining or eye-catching for kids in a storytime. But each time I open the book, I see more that I missed the time before. And they really are very pretty pictures. I think I'll try this with a school-age storytime.

August 2010: A much smaller school-age than I've had all summer, but it went quite well. The group was attentive and got the little humor. And they had no problem sitting closer and thus able to see things in more detail. It was fun to real aloud, too, which was the "theme" I was going for.

8/6/13: I had a small age4-7 group--many of the children new to Spelunkers storytime. (Sad, considering it was the last of the summer.) They all sat pretty far back, so I think they missed a lot in the illustrations. They also didn't quite get the humor--possibly because I had the younger end of the age group. Oh well. It was a good book to have in my Pirate theme.