Trick ARRR Treat

Starred review from July 27, 2015
Multiethnic trick-or-treaters dressed as pirates conquer the streets of their suburban neighborhood, led by chief pirate Charlotte Blue-Tongue, who wields a blue lollipop and a glowing jack-o’-lantern. “Pirates sticking out their tongues,/ shrieking with their pirate lungs,” reads Kimmelman’s playfully assured verse, which is punctuated with pirate exclamations (“Fill my belly!” “Rot my teeth!”). The pirates’ nighttime roving eventually takes them aboard a pirate ship, but a “Big black monster, sly and cunning,/ gets the frightened pirates running” (the monster turns out to be a friendly dog). Back at the pirate chief’s house, “scurvy scoundrels have a party,/ playing games and laughing hearty,” with fellow neighbors dressed as aliens, ninjas, and more. Lit with sunset shades of pink and purple, Monlongo’s illustrations conjure a cinematic sense of theatricality while capturing the visceral excitement of fully escaping into character on Halloween. Ages 4–7.

September 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Children will love to dress up like a pirate, gather their "loot," and yell, "Trick Arrr Treat!" after reading Kimmelman's pirate-themed Halloween tale. Six children are going out on Halloween night for a trick-or-treating adventure. Before leaving, they promise not to be sweet but to yell, "Trick Arrr Treat." The kids' imaginations start to run wild as they make their way through the neighborhood. The illustrations are rendered in a cartoonish style and add an extra layer that will enable readers' imagination to soar. VERDICT A first-choice purchase for a different spin in Halloween-themed storytimes.-Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence, RI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2015
When a pack of kids decides to all dress up as pirates for Halloween, their imaginations almost get the best of them. Kimmelman uses rhyming text in her latest offering with mixed results. Yes, pirate fans will hear plenty of pirate lingo, but too often the rhythm feels forced. The story is, however, full of action as a diverse group of boys and girls eagerly sets off to get as much sweet loot as they can. Notably, the pirate chief is an African-American girl. As the gang makes its way through the neighborhood, a black creature in the shadows comes on the scene. Charlotte Blue-Tongue, Rude Ranjeet, and Glass-Eyed Gabby board their ship, but the shadowy figure gets closer. Is it a monster or a sea serpent? Here, Monlongo shifts from a deep-hued spread of reds, black, and purples with a menacing, sharp-toothed monster ready to swallow the boat whole to the next full-bleed spread, which reveals a shaggy, friendly big dog with its pink tongue hanging out expectantly. It's a cute reveal, but the payoff doesn't seem commensurate with the buildup. The illustrations have a textured look but ultimately do little to add subtlety to the overwrought wording. While many would welcome a pirate-themed Halloween tale, this one isn't quite shipshape. (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 15, 2015
Preschool-G Trick-or-treating pirates have three rules to follow on Halloween night: be home before dark, don't be sweet, and don't forget to say trick arrr treat! With that, a group of six young pirates embark on a quest for as much candy loot as they can possibly plunder from neighbors. Their journey isn't without danger (and imagination), however, as a dark monster interrupts the fun. But the pirates and their sea monster make it home before nightfall to a rollicking holiday party. The illustrations are a delightful combination of bright colors and expressive characters who look like they have sprung from a Disney Junior show. The pirate gang is a diverse crew, led by an African American female captain. Kimmelman clearly had fun writing pirate lingo in verse, and the pirates' names are clever. Who wouldn't chuckle at Glass-Eyed Gabby, so named for her spectacles? Some of the rhymes aren't as effective as others, but short sentences and a narrator's commitment to a decent pirate accent will make this a Halloween storytime favorite.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)