Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs [Hardcover]

Giles Andreae (Author), Russell Ayto (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 6, 2005 | Age Range: 3 and up | Series: Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs

When Flinn discovers a pirate hiding in the school supply closet, it's all aboard, me hearties, for a real live pirate adventure! Captain Stubble needs Flinn's help to find his stolen ship, but there are some mean pirate dinosaurs on the loose, and Flinn and his friends soon sail into trouble....Will fearless Flinn be able to captain the ship and defeat the pirate dinosaurs?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–This imaginary adventure combines a boy's two passions–pirates and prehistoric animals. Flinn's markers run out while he is drawing a dinosaur at school and he goes to the supply closet to get more. There he discovers a sobbing pirate who explains that his ship has been stolen. Along with three friends, Flinn vows to help Captain Stubble retake the Acorn. The closet wall falls away, revealing a bright blue day and a scrappy-looking vessel. The children don pirate garb and Captain Stubble, who prefers to be the cook, puts Flinn in charge. They discover that the Acorn has been taken over by fierce, pirate dinosaurs, and a great battle ensues. All of the creatures jump overboard--except for the Tyrannosaurus rex. Flinn crosses swords with the frightening beast until it finally surrenders. Then it is time to return to school and the children step back through the closet and into the classroom where everyone is wondering where they have been. Ayto's watercolor-and-ink illustrations are angular, bold, and lively. The pirate dinosaurs–complete with eye patches and pointy weapons–are a curious combination of ferocious and precious. They look very much like Flinn's drawing. The fast-paced action and vibrant artwork make this tale a fun and exciting read-aloud.–Linda Staskus, Parma Regional Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. Andreae combines several childhood obsessions into a rousing tale of a schoolboy named Flinn who helps a weeping pirate, discovered at the back of his classroom's supply closet, to recover a ship that has been stolen by a gang of dinosaurs. In Ayto's appropriately big, messy, garishly colored cartoons, the peg-legged, eye-patched dino crew is impressive enough, but it's nothing next to its leader, a huge, slavering tyrannosaur Captain Hook, who battles intrepid young Flinn for more than two hours before conceding defeat. Will Flinn stay and become captain of all the pirate dinosaurs? No, it's time to sail back through the closet for lunch. Children fond of pirates, dinosaurs, ships, and wild rumpuses in general will happily climb aboard. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416907130
• ISBN-13: 978-1416907138
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Giles Andreae is the award-winning and bestselling author of Rumble in the Jungle, The Lion Who Wanted to Love and keep Love in Your Heart, Little One. Giles is also the creator and voice behind Purple Ronnie. He lives in London.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My son's two favorite things in one book! August 3, 2006

By Joanne C

Format:Hardcover

We brought this book home from the library and my son just loves this book! We have added it to our gift wishlist! What a wonderful adventure, well-written and perfectly illustrated! This combines my 4-year-old son's two loves at the moment--pirates and dinosaurs! It's fun to read, too!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 Stars out of 5--Great Fun July 10, 2006

By Khyraen

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is SO much fun to read for mommy (or daddy or older sibling) and SO much fun to be read to from for the li'l ones (especially preschool boys, but my toddler daughter loves it, too.) What educational value does it have? A lot! It teaches kids that books can be FUN! It also gives a great example of a little ones imagination as the whole adventure with the Pirate Dinos happens in young Flint's mind.

"Yo, Ho ho! Yo, Ho ho! PIRATE DINOSAURS, GO, GO, GOOOOOO!" (Heard around my house all the time now.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story for little boys July 5, 2006

By Thursday Phantom

Format:Hardcover

I've probably read this story to my little brother ten times since we brought it home from the library. It is a very cute story and little ones will love singing the pirate dinosaur song.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Combination that Every Boy Will Love! March 28, 2006

By Virginia E. Farrell

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My two year old is obsessed with dinosaurs, we have taken out and read just about every dinosaur book in our library and book store. I have to be honest, not all of them are great books. This book combines two loves of both of our boys (we have a 4 year old as well), and while this combination isn't always a sure bet in other books, in this book, it's amazing!

This book is fun, funny, and feel good- it's rare that an author can take two loves and make them better, and that an illustrator can show it so well!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs March 15, 2006

By Go Dawgs!

Format:Hardcover

My 5 year old son absolutely loves this book! It combines his two favorite things--pirates and dinosaurs, of course. If he had his way, we would read it every night before bedtime.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and exciting book February 26, 2006

By Ramon & Isabel's Mom

Format:Hardcover

This book was a great hit at my child's classroom "guest reader" day. The story was fun and imaginative, with pirates, dinosaurs, classrooms and students. The illustrations were wonderful, great color for holding up in circle time, but also detailed, so children could study the pages and play i-spy with them. This book engaged 5 and 6 year olds, boys and girls, and I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book for young boys! July 27, 2006

By Simone M. Whetton

Format:Hardcover

This is a great story. It is well written and uses good vocabulary. My son loves it and runs around the house reciting slabs of the text. The pictures are terrific. This book would make a great present for kids (especially young boys) aged between 2 and 6.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars pirates plus dinosaurs equals wild adventure October 6, 2012

By Southern Mama

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want to write a children's book and hit all the "in" topics at once, apparently you write a story about kids that enter a secret world through the back of the school supply closet and help a pirate reclaim his ship from dinosaurs who stole it. Whew!