“Good fun, me hearties!” — Kirkus Reviews.
Ahoy, lubbers! Here’s the first review for A Pirate’s Guide for First Grade:
“A little boy with pirates on the brain navigates the first day of school. Narrating in a vigorous piratespeak, he takes readers through his day. “Then in the galley, I mashed me choppers on grub and drowned it with grog.” It may come as no surprise to learn that school comes as a bit of a letdown: “ ’Twas good enough for lubbers, I suppose. But where’s me treasure?’ ” he asks his teacher, “Cap’n” Silver,” at the end of the day, and she obliges. Ruth matches the narration with striking line-and-watercolor graphics, surrounding his hero (who sports a skull-and-bones athletic jersey) with sepia-and-white pencil renderings of pirates (and a parrot) who silently kibitz on his day. Pirate-addled readers will dance a jig; press-ganged kids will be happy for the glossary. Good fun, me hearties. (Picture book. 4-7)
I’m not sure about “press-ganged,” this might be an advance copy that hasn’t had the final proofread. Or maybe it’s just a word or phrase I don’t know.
That said, I agree. The book is good fun and Greg Ruth’s illustrations are great.
UPDATE: You know what they say, ignorance is Jimmy! Author Kurtis Scaletta explains the meaning of a “press gang” in the comments section. Arrr.
Congrats on a great review from notorious curmudgeons. A press gang is a group of young men compelled to join the army or navy — Thx “A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O’Brian,” which was an arm’s length away.