The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate [Hardcover]

Margaret Mahy (Author), Margaret Chamberlain (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1985

A man gives up his office job and runs off to sea with his old mother who used to be a pirate.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-2 Seeking interesting and worthwhile picture books from the past and reissuing them with new illustrations is a welcome idea. However one can only wonder what the impetus was to bring back the little man in "a respectable brown suit" whose pirate mother leads him to the sea. The story is about a timid clerk who puts his mother in a wheelbarrow to take her back to the sea, where we can only surmise that she once led an exciting life. He attains a sort of epiphany upon reaching the ocean, resigns his stultifying job by dropping a note in a bottle, and ships out as a cabin-boy under his mother's rule still. The latest version has a revised text, somewhat shorter, but essentially the same as the first. Published in 1973 by Atheneum, that edition's collages by Brian Froud were described in contemporary reviews as "witty" and "sophisticated." Chamberlain's carefully detailed colored-ink drawings for this edition are very appealing, but again, cannot save the slight plot. Do-your-own-thing would appear to be the message, but our poor little hero simply trades one boss for another, his only improvements being the putative pleasure of living on the sea, and looser clothing. Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School Library, McKinney, Tex.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Ltd (October 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0460061712
• ISBN-13: 978-0460061711
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,106,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Mahy lives in New Zealand and is internationally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding children's writers today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children of all ages, two of which have received England's Carnegie Medal and others of which have garnered numerous citations from the American Library Association. She is also the recipient of An Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen can receive. In 2006 she received the Hans Christian Andersen award for her contributions to international children's literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop and Smell the Roses, July 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (Picture Puffin) (Mass Market Paperback)

I first encountered this enchanting book while taking a Children's Lit course in Australia. Although that was a year ago, I still remember this book as a favourite of all the books we studied.

The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate by Margaret Mahy is a wonderful story about not getting caught up in the everyday and about taking time out of the regular routine to appreciate life and have fun.

Originally done by a different illustrator, the book has been reillustrated for its more recent publications. The new colourful, comical illustrations compliment the fun storyline in which a young businessman learns to let loose while accompaning his eccentric pirate mother on his first visit to the sea. Initially hesitant, the young man soon finds himself overcome by the beauty and power of the ocean and, as a result, undergoes a major change in perspective.

Readers, too, will find themselves in awe of the ocean thanks to a wonderfully illustrated full page spread that really seems to capture the greatness of the sea. While this book is classified as a "children's book" I think that many adults will be able to enjoy and relate to it also. In addition, I think that the story's message, a reminder to "stop and smell the roses", is one that we can all benefit from. I definitely recommend it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent "Reading Aloud" Book, November 2, 2009

By 

D. H. Kent "(CA Bay Area)" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (Puffin Picture Story Books) (Paperback)

We also first encountered this book outside the US...when we were living in Ireland in our case. The other reviewer accurately described the simple plotline so I need not add anything here. What I do want to add is my appreciation for (1) the beautiful and subtle illustrations, and (2) the applicability of this book to those of us who really REALLY like to plop a kiddo on our laps and read aloud to them.

The illustrations follow the plotline in an unusually sensitive way. Not only do they generally show the changes in the landscapes as the man and his Pirate Mother approach the seaside, but subtle changes also occur in the man himself. My children loved to point these out, over and over again, as his tie comes undone and his jacket unbuttoned and his hair ruffled. By the time he and his Pirate Mother reach the seaside he is clearly ready for a romp on the beach.

As one who loves reading aloud to his children (and now grandchildren), the combination of text and pictures offers ample dramatic opportunity. Scoff as ye may, for those of us who fancy ourselves budding thespians who ... but only if we had the opportunity ... Well! Let me just say that this is an excellent book for reading aloud for BOTH the reader and the audience!

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book even more than my kids do!, December 4, 2009

By 

earthymama (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate (Puffin Picture Story Books) (Paperback)

After being given the book by a friend, and reading it a zillion times- we never tire of this one- this has become a favorite book to gift. It's a fun story that has a plot line silly enough to please kids, great colorful pictures and a message that will make a tired mama smile.