The Pirate and the Penguin [Hardcover]

Patricia Storms (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The Pirate and the Penguin is a droll modern take on Mark Twain’s classic children's tale The Prince and the Pauper. Penguin has had it with the South Pole. He’s bored with the ice, bored with the fish, and bored with the communal escapades of his feathered fraternity. A free spirit, Penguin longs for adventure. Pirate, on the other hand, wants no part in raucous, adventurous ways. Treasure? Conquest? Exploration? Bah. He longs for a simple life, free from the endless travel. When these two misfits meet, they discover the solution to all their problems. Patricia Storms’ gift for characterization and keen eye for detail results in a book that is both a delightful adventure and an appealing parable about finding contentment.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Penguins and pirates are perennially popular. A book featuring both is therefore a surefire audience pleaser. It’s Storms’ conceit that the two titular characters—both drawn in shades of purple and green and looking like squat twin gumdrops—are discontented with their lots. Penguin dislikes the cold and his home’s isolation as well as his fellow birds’ preoccupation with daydreaming and yoga. Pirate longs for a more relaxing lifestyle. Yoga, it seems, would suit him fine. An accidental encounter (Penguin’s ice floe, on which he is seeking adventure, rams Pirate’s ship) leads to an exchange of clothes as well as identities. Luckily, neither Pirate’s crew nor Penguin’s flock notices the deception, and the pair is free to trade places and live out each other's dreams. Bright Saturday-morning cartoon artwork lends a cheery, if plebian, feel. Observant readers will note with amusement visual asides, including a treasure-map parchment exclaiming “map to the bathroom.” It’s all quite silly, but in the end, appealing. Preschool-Grade 2. --Karen Cruze

Review

"Wonderfully expressive faces, hyperbolic cartoons and the occasional use of speech bubbles combine to make the illustrations both quirky and fun. This one will hit many a funny bone in old and young alike--pay particular attention to the endpapers and treasure maps." - Kirkus

"This book is cleverly written and illustrated. This book is sure to become one of the best loved books in your home collection, combining adult wit and children's imagination; perfect for school and public library collections, as well."  - Children's Literature

…a surefire audience pleaser…It’s all quite silly, but in the end, appealing. (Booklist )

This is a fun and touching story filled with lots of great humor. Engaging dialogue moves the narrative along quickly, while the use of simple language reveals the depths of Pirate and Penguin’s hopes and desires…This book marks the spot for a very fun read. (Canadian Children’s Book News )

The Pirate and the Penguin is a delightfully imaginative [and silly book that will bring a smile to many young readers faces while giving them permission to follow their dreams. (CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials )

Wonderfully expressive faces, hyperbolic cartoons and the occasional use of speech bubbles combine to make illustrations quirky and fun. This one will hit many a funny bone in old and young alike. (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Owlkids Books (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189734967X
• ISBN-13: 978-1897349670
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 10.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,597,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Words and pictures have always been a big part of Patricia Storms' life, ever since she was a little kid. Patricia has always loved to write and draw, especially cartoons and humorous illustrations. Her teachers in school enjoyed her cartoon work, but often encouraged her to move beyond cartoons into more respected forms of art. As soon as she finds a more respected form of art, she promises to drop the cartooning.

Patricia is an award-winning cartoonist, as well as a children's book illustrator and author. Her picture book The Pirate and the Penguin was named one of the top 10 Great Books for Children for 2011, by the Canadian Toy Testing Council. She is also the new cartoonist who draws Chirp, the much-loved yellow bird from Owlkids. Patricia lives and creates in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two fat cats in a cosy old house full to the brim with books.

To see more of her work, visit www.patriciastorms.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cute, January 20, 2010

By 

elfdart - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pirate and the Penguin (Hardcover)

this story is (as you might have guessed) about a pirate and a penguin. the pirate lives a life on the seas plundering, pillaging, and the like, but as it turns out, this pirate is getting a bit sick of the whole 'pirate thing' and begins wishing for a quieter life. in the antarctic there's this penguin, and just by looking at him you can tell he's out of place. he's wearing a sweater because he's cold all the time, and instead of sliding around on the ice like the other penguins, he dreams of adventure and travel. so the penguin and the pirate each decide to leave their homes to find a place where they can fulfill their desires and end up where the other left.

this story is a 'you can be anything you want' kind of book, as one could assume from reading the first couple of pages. the penguin wants what the pirate has and vice versa, and the story comes to a close with them switching places and being happy. it sounds like it would be a rehashing of a cheesy, over-played plot that's been so watered down by politically correct sentiments that it's lost any value whatsoever as a decent story... but surprisingly this is not the case. the story telling is fresh and fun and the illustrations are colourful and animated. it's a fun read with a nice little moral.