Pirate's Lullaby

May 15, 2015
On a vessel whose crew numbers two, a young boy uses his formidable avoidance techniques to put off bedtime for as long as possible. When a boy's pirate papa declares in no uncertain terms that it is bedtime, the dance of getting his tiny crewmember down begins. First, "not-so-sleepy Ned" begs for additional time. Then his teddy goes missing. Then there's an outright escape up the mainmast. And even when Papa Pirate gets his miniature mutineer into bed, there are cries for more water, a book, and even a song. Little wonder that it's the weary captain and not his one-man crew who conks out first. Told in gentle rhyming verse, the book never goes beyond the usual sleepy-time tropes. The nautical terms are at times clever (as when the boy objects that he's soon to be "marooned...all alone" in his bed) and at times driven more by rhyme than logic (referring to a merely missing teddy as a "stowaway" doesn't make much sense). Likewise, the art is serviceable if not exciting. Yet for young buccaneers eager for their own adventures on the seven seas, the nonthreatening tone and look will hold a certain lure. Bedtime is already well-bedecked with piratical fare, but no one's going to object to just one more book of this kind, particularly when it's this good-natured. (Picture book. 3-6)

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August 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-It's bedtime, and pirate Papa tries to coax a not-so-sleepy Ned into his bunk. Reluctantly he performs his bedtime rituals like swabbing the deck, stowing the gear, and locking the treasure chest. Ned tries to prolong the inevitable, asking for a drink and a story. They eventually settle down, and Papa climbs into bed with Ned to read to him. The only thing Ned hears, though, is Papa's snores, because he has fallen asleep. The rhyming text is filled with pirate dialect, which adds whimsy and fun to the story. Endpapers share the same pattern as Ned's pajama shirt. VERDICT A serviceable addition to bedtime collections, especially for budding buccaneers.-Emily E. Lazio, The Smithtown Special Library District, NY

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