Uncle Pirate [Paperback]

Douglas Rees (Author), Tony Auth (Illustrator)

Book Description

When Desperate Evil Wicked Bob, a pirate, and his talking penguin, Captain Jack, come to live with Wilson and his parents, life suddenly gets more exciting. But the fun really begins when Captain Jack starts attending Very Elementary, a school as far from shipshape and Bristol fashion as a school could be. With a little bit of imagination and a lot of humor, Desperate Evil Wicked Bob turns mollymockery into mathematics, and young Wilson gets what every kid wants—a pirate for an uncle.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–4—Wilson's life is challenging. His elementary school is not for the lily-livered; it is disastrously run and overflowing with bullies. His scallywag principal spends his days under a desk and the school secretary must be bribed with snacks. His classmates refuse to learn, preferring to torment one another instead. Life at home is hard, too. His family's wallet and living quarters are tight. This all begins to change when Wilson finds out that he has an uncle who is a pirate. After years marooned on Antarctica with a talking penguin, Uncle Desperate Evil Wicked Bob is coming to stay. Needless to say, the man does not quite fit in, but he's still able to whip Wilson's school into shape. Readers will enjoy the fun of Uncle Pirate's unorthodox methods and the pirate theme and jargon (glossary included). Though light on character development, this quick-paced jaunt will amuse children as it sails the current of pirate mania. Auth's delightful black-and-white illustrations appear throughout.—Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Douglas Rees is a librarian who resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the author of two novels for older readers, Lightning Time and Vampire High.

Tony Auth is a Pulitzer Prize winner and an editorial cartoonist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. His drawings can be found in Daniel Pinkwater’s The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. Tony lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; Reprint edition (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416947639
• ISBN-13: 978-1416947639
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute story with a twist, September 17, 2010

By 

Janice L. Cloud "jcloud" (Biloxi, Ms USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Uncle Pirate (Paperback)

A quick read for school aged children, fun story to expand the imagination and provoke a little thought. Nice illustrations mixed with text and worth the investment...sure to be a favorite! Service was very good and the quality was as advertized.

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had a pirate for an Uncle!, June 1, 2011

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Urban Fanta-Seer (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Uncle Pirate (Kindle Edition)

Two parts heart and one part adventure, Uncle Pirate is sure to make kids read this story over and over again. They'll be saying "No Mollymockery" at the dinner table and searching the back yard for buried treasure. Doug Rees weaves a magical tale of an undersized bully target, Wilson, who rises to the occasion when his peg-leg Uncle pirate turns up with an Emperor penguin, Captain Jack, in tow and hilarity ensues. Here's a book to go on your keeper shelf!

4.0 out of 5 stars My 6 y/o son liked it, April 4, 2011

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M. Loring "mloring" (CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Uncle Pirate (Kindle Edition)

My son liked it but it was a tad older reading than my 6 y/o only because the way the pirate in the books speaks is a bit hard to follow when reading it aloud... Witty, fun book though!