Pirates Don't Change Diapers [Hardcover]

Melinda Long (Author), David Shannon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 570L (What's this?)

When the pirate crew turns up at Jeremy Jacob's house and accidentally wakes his baby sister, that wee scallywag howls louder than a storm on the high seas. Sure, there's buried treasure to be found, but nobody's digging up anything until Bonney Anne quits her caterwauling. So, quicker than you can say "scurvy dog," Braid Beard and his swashbuckling pirates become . . . babysitters? Blimey!
    

This hilarious companion to How I Became a Pirate reveals that minding the nursery can be even more terrifying than walking the plank--especially if you're a pirate.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Plucky young Jeremy Jacob is reunited with Captain Braid Beard and his crew of daft, dentally challenged buccaneers in a follow-up to the bestselling How I Became a Pirate. This time, Jeremy clearly has the upper hand: he won't let the pirates dig up the treasure they buried in his backyard at the end of the previous book until they help him placate his cranky baby sister, Bonney Anne (pirate aficionados will note that her name is a nod to real-life female pirate Anne Bonny). The story unfolds rather predictably—but just as entertainingly as the original: the pirates turn out to be washouts as nannies, jokes fly about dirty diapers and strained spinach, and, of course, "the wee lass" Bonney Anne ends up being the key to recovering the treasure. But Long's piratical dialogue still delivers a juicy read-aloud: what reader of any age won't relish the opportunity to say "Aargh!" or declare "Rock on!" as the crew does in unison when Braid Beard orders them to rock Bonney Anne to sleep? And Shannon's voluptuously colorful and comic paintings runneth over with comic mayhem, sly details (somehow, the pirates manage to find a pirate show on Jeremy's TV) and no end of goofy expressions. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3—Another flight of piratical fancy with young Jeremy Jacob and the motley crew from How I Became a Pirate (Harcourt, 2003). Jeremy Jacob, supposed-to-be babysitter, is distracted from keeping an eye on his snoozing sister by the boisterous, baby-wakening arrival of Captain Braid Beard and his men, who have come in search of the treasure formerly entrusted to our suburban buccaneer. They need his help to find their loot, and he needs their help to mind Bonney Anne. Unfortunately, pirates are unfamiliar with nappies, and num-nums, and naptimes, so there are a lot of funny faux pas and hysterical, histrionic looks—particularly when it's discovered that the baby's made a snack of the all-important X-marks-the-spot map. All's well that ends well, though: the brigands' booty is recovered, and their reward to Jeremy Jacob will become the birthday gift he wraps up for his mom. Long's dialogue makes for a rollicking read-aloud, and Shannon's signature artwork is a vibrant concoction of rowdy colors; Magoo-eyed, snaggle-toothed characters; and a baby who bears an unsettling resemblance to Alfred E. Newman. Yo-ho-ho!—Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 44 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; First edition, first printing (full letter line) edition (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152053530
• ISBN-13: 978-0152063887
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Babysitting

More About the Author

MELINDA LONG is a teacher and the author of the award-winning bestseller How I Became a Pirate. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Silly adventure any kid would love March 3, 2007

By Armchair Interviews

Format:Hardcover

Jeremy Jacob was wondering what to buy his mother for her birthday. He had twenty-seven cents. Then he heard a knock on the door. When he looked through peephole he discovered his pirate friends. The pirate's ship ran aground on a coral reef, and they need the treasure buried in Jeremy's backyard to pay to have the ship fixed.

But Jeremy's baby sister woke up, which was not a surprise with all the pirate howling going on, and before the treasure can be dug up, the baby must be cared for. Braid Beard and his pirates become babysitters. They learn that caring for a baby can be hard work. But that hard work also helped Jeremy with his mother's birthday gift.

How I Became a Pirate is one of my favorite books for children. And Pirates Don't Change Diapers is just as much fun. The story is silly and filled with adventure, and the illustrations are colorful and exciting.

Armchair Interviews says: Pirates Don't Change Diapers is a winner for both boys and girls. It will become a favorite.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun! May 5, 2007

By Mathew A. Shember VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

We don't have "How I became a pirate" yet. For some reason I thought this was it. Anyway, the book is fun and my 6 year old likes it for a bed time story. Everyday for a week so far.

I found the story is not really dependent on the first book. Basically, the pirates pay a visit to retrieve their buried treasure from Jeremy Jacob's yard after their ship runs aground. They need money to fix it.

But before they can dig it up; they have to help babysit Jeremy Jacob's little sister. But as Captain Braid Beard says "Babysit? Pirates don't sit on babies!"

The art work really makes the story fun and my little girl usually takes the book so she can look at the pictures.

Now we just have to pick up the first book!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirates May 13, 2007

By Charles Smith

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is fantastic! It is full of imagination. Both my husband, and I love reading this book to our little one.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another GREAT book from David Shannon May 29, 2007

By J. Haussler

Format:Hardcover

My three year old nephew is a self declared pirate, so "How I Became a Pirate" was a must have. But I think I like this book even more. It's at its best read aloud with special emphasis (and perhaps special voice) for the pirate crew lines -- NO SITTIN' ON BABIES!! -- and guaranteed to make both children and adults giggle at the silly situations and pictures. I doubt I'll ever get tired of reading it.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars SIMPLY A FUN READ. GREAT STORY TIME BOOK. May 6, 2007

By D. Blankenship HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

We already have a pretty good synopsis of the book here, so I certainly will not go into depth in that area. Simply put, Jeremy Jacob is visited by his old pirate friends while he is watching his baby sister while mom is away shopping for milk. Pirates indeed are not made for watching small, bratty baby sisters as we find as the story progresses. This tale is filled with good pirate talk (Aargh) and the art work by David Shannon is great. I love his facial expressions he is able to create in his characters. The story moves fast and the text matches the illustrations perfectly. This is one that the kids usually want read several times as each reading reveals something funny that was missed with the previous reading. I enjoyed this one, and more importantly, the classes I read it to, also enjoy it. When the kids like a book, that is probably the best indorsement it, the book can get. Recommend this one highly.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pirates don't change diapers March 31, 2007

By Joe Obermeyer

Format:Hardcover

This is a great sequal to the first book "How I became a Pirate." In this story, the pirates come to visit their friend Jeremy Jacobs. Before they can search his back yard for their burried teasure, they have a job to do. Great book, especially for anyone who has a baby in the family.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Want a good laugh?? May 13, 2007

By E. Martin

Format:Hardcover

We love David Shannon books!! Not only are the illustrations great, but the storyline is halarious! A must have for your child's library and its good entertainment for parents too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FUN May 12, 2007

By Coo

Format:Hardcover

What an amazingly captivating and humouous tale for adults and children alike. We purchased this book for my 18-year-old son to read for his High School speech meet and the crowds roared with laughter. It's exciting to try and speak in pirate language, which is exactly what my son did when he read for Captain Braidbeard.