Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor [Hardcover]

Mervyn PEAKE (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Eyre & Spottiswoode; Second Edition edition (1945)
• ASIN: B000KL62CO
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An unusual tale of pirates where the fierce captain lives happily every after with a yellow creature, December 4, 2006

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor (Hardcover)

Slaughterboard is the fierce captain of a pirate ship called the "Black Tiger." He was ruthless to his men, hundreds had been forced to walk the plank, and so only a few were left. They were:

*) Billy Bottle, whose arms extended all the way to the ground.
*) Jonas Joints, who was a skilled acrobat.
*) Timothy Twitch, whose underwear was adorned with the skull and crossbones.
*) Charlie Choke, whose body was covered with tattoos.
*) Peter Poop, the cook, whose nose was made of cork.

One day they were sailing the warm waters of the ocean when they came across a pink island. Captain Slaughterboard immediately ordered his men to make landfall and when they arrived, they discovered a yellow creature. They gave chase and when they captured it, found that it was willing to leave the island. It was unhappy at the way it was being treated by the other creatures on the island and the fact that nearly all the others were purple. They were called:

*) Balleroon
*) Dignipomp
*) Hunchabil
*) Mousterashe
*) Guggaflop
*) Saggerdroop
*) Squirmarins
*) Sleeka
*) Plummet

Their appearance matches their names, for example the Dignipomp looks simultaneously dignified and pompous.
Once they are underway, the captain spends a great deal of time just watching the yellow creature. Over time all of the crew except the captain and the yellow creature were killed in battle. At this point, the captain sails back to the pink island and he and the yellow creature live happy and contented lives every after.
This is a most unusual tale, certainly nothing like the modern children's story. It has many similarities to Dr. Seuss stories in terms of names and the imagery, but it lacks the poetic quality of the Seuss text. However, the illustrations are superb; it is possible to see something of the name of each person or creature in their image. For that reason, I recommend it for children in the middle years of elementary school.