From Publishers Weekly
Jaspersohn (The Two Brothers) graphically recounts a boy's harrowing encounter with a band of mutinous pirates in this suspenseful true tale from the early 18th century, part of the Family Heritage series. Young William Bateman likes to pretend he's battling pirates on his family's coastal Rhode Island farmland. But when a mutinous crew comes ashore to slay their captain and plunder William's farm while his parents are away on errands, he gets an all-too-authentic dose of the real thing. Detailed paragraphs describe a pirate's harsh nature and physical appearance (e.g., their "thick yellow toenails" and heads shaved "to rid their scalps of lice and fleas"). Thornblad's equally graphic, realistic oil paintings combine well with the text to create a dire tone in the climactic scenes, including the captain's murder (viewed from a distance) and William's confrontation with the menacing pirate who breaks into the farmhouse ("He was dark and small, with bright, weaselly eyes, and gave off a stink of bilgewater and sweat"). Discovering only a child, the mutineer offers a ring carved from whalebone as a goodwill gesture. Thornblad, in his illustrative debut, just as easily portrays William's idyllic existence before the pirates came, with inviting green and blue vistas of the boy's shoreside home. At times, the narrative breaks from the boy's point of view ("William had no way of knowing it, but these men were mutineers," etc.), but this historical recounting aptly contrasts real life pirates with childhood's innocent imaginings. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-On a coastal farm in Newport, RI, in 1710, William's days are filled with a great deal of idyllic play and very little work. However, one fateful day, his parents leave him in the care of the family cook and his "peaceable kingdom" is disturbed by the arrival of a ship manned by "rough, wild, fearsome men with filthy hair, faded clothes, curved pistols and sharp cutlasses." Deserted by the terrified cook, William witnesses the murder of the ship's captain and the theft of his parents' livestock. Finally, he is discovered by a member of the crew who "did something remarkable." Instead of harming the boy, the murderous mutineer removes a ring from his finger and places it in the boy's hand. William's parents return to find him safe but frightened and amazed by the afternoon's events. He learns that "The world is a beautiful place," "But, in truth, sometimes it is dangerous." Oil paintings clearly tell the tale, but the characters' facial features are often indistinct or exaggerated. Notes indicate that this account is based on a true story and discuss the significance of family heirlooms. Suggestions encourage readers to seek their own family stories and treasured objects. A utilitarian addition for most collections.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public SchoolsCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
