Customer Reviews

The Great Piratical Rumbustification & the Librarian and the Robbers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's kind of sad that the lack of reviews here makes it look like no one has looked at this funny book on this site since 1998. It's very funny and just the kind of book a young boy would make any adult read to him over and over. And girls will like it too.

If you had put your hand over my eyes and read the first paragraph of the first story to me, with main characters Alpha, Oliver and Omega, I would have known who wrote it right away. It has Mahy's rhythm, her humor that comes from the sound of the words, the alliteration she loves. This is a book made to be read aloud. It sounds funny, and it means funny too. The plot of these two stories twist in ways that, even having read a lot of Mahy, I never could have predicted. Everytime I encounter one of her stories, I wonder how that kind of twist came to her. I wish I could do it myself.

The first story is about three boys who have recently moved into a house. In the apartment, whenever the boys tried to do something adventuresome, they were told to wait until they were in a big house. Then they'd have space enough to have an adventure. Well, they were in the new house, and nothing was happening... until a pirate decides their house is the perfect place to "steal" a party.

In the second story, a bunch of atypical robbers kidnap an orphaned librarian reasoning that her "parents" would be the city, and they would have to come up with ransom in order to open the library again. But of course, the librarian always wins. Mahy was herself a librarian for many years.

Perfect read-aloud book. Lots of fun. And the illustrations are an extra (goofy) plus. They are done by Quentin Blake, the illustrator who worked on Roald Dahl's books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, The Witches etc. You'll recognize his style when you see it.

This book was read to me by a teacher as a way to learn to write a story outline, and with this book I found it extremely easy. The Librarian and the Robbers was hilarious and easy to follow.

First: If you haven't read The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate by the same author, then stop now and buy and read that book. We have read that dozens of times and love it every time. After discovering the author, however, I had to find more, and this has quickly become very popular in our household as well. And how fabulous is it when a three year old says rumbustification! It's also a great baby shower book for the favorite librarians in your life as the 2nd story has a librarian heroine.

There's no better topic for a childrens book than Pirates. Period. And Rubustification is more proof that Mahy is probably among the best word smith in Childrens literature. These two stories are compelling, full of funny witticisms and alliteration (and a little alteration of normal story plots too!), and general good humored fun that little boys and girls will love. This is such a great book. I agree with another reviewer that it deserves a lot more attention than it has received. Get your kids a copy. They'll certainly thank you for it!

Get your kids to learn to pronunce rumbustification and you will all enjoy the two great stories in this book. Great illustrations too.

My 5 year old son just loves this book, we have been reading it over and over again for the past year. Great fun for both kids and parents!

I read this book when I was knee high to a grasshopper, and the wonderful wordplay of the title always stuck with me. A decade or two later I tacked it onto an Amazon order to qualify for free shipping, and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the Piratical Rumbustification is the best title ever, but it is the companion story, The Librarian and the Robbers which really wowed me. The plot is zanier than Cartoon Network could ever hope to be, and the language is exquisite. I have to admit, I read this story over and over. Quentin Blake's illustrations compliment the wackiness of the story, too. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a good (and very quick) read. And hey, if you have kids, you can let them borrow it sometimes, too!

Forget the stereotype of sensible shoes, here we have a charming story in which the librarian in smart, pretty and wins the day! Should be on the reading list for everyone who loves libraries.

Margaret Mahy, who is apparently from New Zealand, has written a wonderful pair of tales (excellently illustrated with line drawings by the witty Brit Quentin Blake). The stories overflow with fine wordplay & fun, & give piracy and robbery a good name. One of the best reads I've had in a while!