Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Mark Siegel (Author) "Will you sail?" Old Seadog begs the two hounds at his side..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4--Wheeler and Siegel do many things well in their comic-book-style story, but an unnecessarily convoluted plot ultimately sinks this lighthearted adventure. The opening illustrations show an excited pup arriving at the theater and the canine cast members getting ready backstage. Once the curtain rises, the tale is related through funny songs and verses. Old Seadog (the captain), Brave Beagle, and her love (a cowardly dachshund) set sail on the Beauty. They soon encounter a "Mongrel Horde" led by Captain Jacques Fifi. As the three friends hide, the pirates board their ship, loot it, and then, surprisingly, return to their own vessel. During the raid, Captain Fifi accidentally drops a treasure map and a stowaway sneaks aboard. This chubby little pup soon wins Old Seadog's heart. The heroes sail to the treasure isle and find the hoard, only to lose it again, but in the end, they realize that their true treasure is adventure and love. The text contains a good deal of whimsical humor and wordplay. The catchy verses milk the canine puns for all they're worth, but this slows the pace considerably. The cartoons add detail and comic twists; they often belie the words they accompany to ironic effect. Ultimately, the story feels a bit forced and drawn out; the pirates lack bite and adults will best appreciate much of the humor. With not enough action and too much verse, this venture comes up short.--Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. A little Victorian girl dog goes to see a performance of Seadogs, an operetta, in this bouncy, colorful picture book that unfolds in detailed, comics-like panels. Children experience the event from the eager pup's largely silent perspective, getting a few backstage peeks as well as views of the audience and orchestra--and of the performance itself. The operetta concerns an old seadog who gathers a crew for one last adventure--among them, a good-hearted bar mistress and a young pup of dubious ancestry. The lyrics to the songs, usually boxed, tell about what's going on in the present (the daily chores, the unexpected appearance of pirates) and about the life each old dog left to come aboard. The little girl pup loves the show and remembers lively scenes from it in her memory as the hansom cab carries her away. A delightful book to share with pre-readers, who can return to the pictures on their own and relive the tandem stories of a grown-up night out and an epic voyage. Melodies for the songs would have made this graphic novel for the picture-book set even better. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books; 2nd Printing edition (February 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068985689X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689856891
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,051,483 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An epic treasure, February 25, 2004

By A Customer

I was so glad to see SEADOGS on amazon's New & Notable list. When I stumbled across this picture book by Lisa Wheeler, I was blown away. The story is uniquely written in a series of clever poems. Woven into the Seadogs daring adventures you will also discover a touching story of friendship and courage. But don't let the word "operetta" fool you. The writing is funny, fresh, and far from stuffy.

Mark Siegel illustrated this book in a series of amazing cartoon panels. I could spend hours just admiring all of the fun, interesting details. Kids and adults will appreciate the unique design of this book and its crew of expressive characters.

SEADOGS is definitely a one-of-a-kind, groundbreaking picture book.
Don't miss the boat by missing out on this book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is it is a glorious thing to be a pirate king, July 15, 2005

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Like most members of my generation (the X one) I enjoy a good smattering of Gilbert and Sulliven before beddy-bye. And I cannot tell you how many times I've sat listening to the gentle strains of The Pirates of Penzance while pondering, "This is good. I wonder how much better it would be if performed by dogs?". Well now I have my answer. "Seadogs" is perhaps one of the quirkiest ideas to come out of the fine fine publishing house of Atheneum. Part comic strip caper, part rousing piratical tale, and part musical revue the book works as well as it does simply because its disparate elements fit together perfectly. Whether you've a kid who just likes their picture books good and cartoony or a child with an ear for bouncy trouncy rhythms, the combined artistry of author Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Mark Siegel is best put in a single word: Harmony.

A small female pup attends a revue of a show called "Seadogs" with her mother. The time period appears to be mid-Victorian and behind scenes we see the actors and actresses getting reading. When the curtain lifts we are plunged into a whole new world of dogs and ships and sea. An old seadog goes into his favorite pub and mourns the fact that he can no longer go to the ocean he loves. Brave beagle and her companion, a timid but sweet dachshund, cannot cheer him until he vows to buy a seaworthy vessel and take them with him on "one last sail". Off the three go to find adventure on the high seas. All goes well until the ship is plundered by the fearsome Jacques FiFi (the terrier of the sea) who leaves behind a treasure map. With a stowaway pup and a map to guide them adventure, capture, and even more adventure rounds out this solid storytime fare.

The book is innately comic, but I was delighted to find some moments of real tenderness as well. When the seadogs find a pup hidden in a coil of rope, the captain adopts the wayward hound and their songs together are full of tenderness. Mind you, there are plenty of dog puns to pore through here. Jacques Fifi commands a crew known as the Mongrel Hoard. There are framed prints of authors named "Growbert" and "Sulllibone". You get the picture. But the songs are catchy, the illustrations livelly and amusing, and the book a real joy to go through. I once had the pleasure of sharing an elevator with illustrator Mark Siegel (unbeknownst to him) and I can ascertain that though this may be his first book for children, I am certain it will not be his last.

If I have any problems with this book, it's that there wasn't a cd of these songs included. With picture books like "Science Verse", such cds are givens. Not so here. Looks like audiences will have to come up with their own tunes if they want to share in the fun. Still, it's a great little title and perfect reading material for a dark and rainy night.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars who let these dogs out?, March 13, 2004

By A Customer

...This book is the textbook antonym of "slight." It is so full a picture book experience, the publisher should have charged more for it.

It tells the story of Old Seadog who decides to take one last sail, and invites his friends, Beagle and Dachshund, to join him.

The book opens with a wordless two-page spread that follows a young dog in a dress and a pink bow as she enters the theater and takes her seat. The curtain begins to lift and we see five sets of paws beneath its hem. Let the show begin!

What follows are 30-odd poems (or lyrics) by Wheeler which take the old salt and his canine crew on their high seas adventure. They clash with pirates led by Captain Jacques Fifi, the Terrier of the Sea. They find a treasure map and a stowaway pup. They find and lose buried treasure but escape with not only their lives - but newfound love.

At the end, the entire cast takes a bow(wow) in front of the SRO audience, as well they should.

The illustrations are full of wit, and Wheeler has a talent for wordplay that makes her a perfect poet for the young. But what makes this book so distinguished is that it works on so many levels -- as a rousing adventure story, and as (humorous) poetry. An energetic teacher (or artsy kids) could stage it. Because Siegel's illustrations are done in cartoon panels, you can give Seadogs to a budding artist who wants to work in the comic-strip style or to a kid who you know would like graphic novels but perhaps isn't ready for the violent and sexual content many of them contain.

Anyway, after finishing this book, I thought, Ye Gods, what an imagination! And you know, of course, what my audience said . . .

Read it again!