or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
140 used & new from $0.37
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
How I Became a Pirate
 
 
See all product images
See all 5 customer images
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

How I Became a Pirate (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Illustrator) "Pirates have green teeth-when they have any teeth at all..." (more)
Key Phrases: Braid Beard, Jeremy Jacob
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
List Price: $16.00
Price: $10.88 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.12 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
55 new from $4.23 82 used from $0.37 3 collectible from $16.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover $10.88 $4.23 $0.37
  Paperback, Import -- $3.75 $0.14
  Audio, Cassette -- -- $9.99
  Rag Book $10.20 $6.34 $16.55
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $8.27 or less with new Audible membership

Best Value

Buy How I Became a Pirate and get Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC at an additional 5% off Amazon.com's everyday low price.

How I Became a Pirate + Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC
Buy Together Today: $21.22

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: How I Became a Pirate

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Pirates Don't Change Diapers

Pirates Don't Change Diapers

by Melinda Long
4.6 out of 5 stars (44)  $10.88
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC

Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC

by June Sobel
4.4 out of 5 stars (19)  $5.99
Pirates Tattoos (Temporary Tattoos)

Pirates Tattoos (Temporary Tattoos)

by Steven James Petruccio
3.2 out of 5 stars (8)  $1.50
Do Pirates Take Baths?

Do Pirates Take Baths?

by Kathy Tucker
4.5 out of 5 stars (12)  $6.95
Pirate Pete

Pirate Pete

by Kim Kennedy
4.7 out of 5 stars (21)  $10.85
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Young Jeremy Jacob is plucked from obscurity while innocently constructing a sand castle and is thrust into a brand-new life as a pirate. Captain Braid Beard and his crew recognize Jeremy as an exceptionally talented digger and they happen to be in desperate need of a digger to help them bury a treasure chest. Jeremy thinks a pirate life sounds like fun, as long as he’s back the next day in time for soccer practice, and so he goes along with the ragtag group of seafaring thugs (with hearts of gold, naturally). And while Jeremy adores the pirates’ lack of table manners and opposition to vegetables, he comes to realize that a life away from his parents lacks some of the niceties to which he’s become accustomed. Nobody tucks him in at night, for instance, and the only book available to read is a treasure map. Melinda Long’s story, narrated with a sense of boastful exaggeration by Jeremy, is full of a sense of high adventure that's lovingly evocative of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tales. David Shannon's illustrations, full of a goofy vibrancy, are a perfect accompaniment to the story. (Ages 4 to 8) --John Moe


From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-Long has selected an irresistible combination for this age group-pirates and soccer. Jeremy Jacob is building a sand castle when a pirate ship lands nearby. His parents are preoccupied with other chores, so he takes off for an adventure on the high seas to help the men bury their treasure chest. He learns that buccaneers don't bother with manners or bedtimes, which is just fine with him, but it also means no bedtime stories or being tucked in. He tries to teach the pirates to play soccer, at least until the ball gets swallowed by a shark. When a storm hits, forcing the crew to return to shore, Jeremy solves the dilemma of where to bury the treasure-in his own backyard. He even makes it home in time for soccer practice. Paired with Shannon's energetic acrylics of a colorful crew of pop-eyed, snaggly toothed pirates seen from a variety of zany viewpoints (including upside down) and a small boy who is clearly having the time of his life, this rollicking adventure is sure to be a favorite with the storytime crowd.
Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 44 pages
  • Publisher: Harcourt, Inc. (September 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0152018484
  • ISBN-13: 978-0152018481
  • Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #1 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( S ) > Shannon, David
    #4 in  Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Boys & Men > Fiction
    #49 in  Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
David Shannon
David Shannon
Melinda Long
Melinda Long

Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Pirates have green teeth-when they have any teeth at all. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Braid Beard, Jeremy Jacob
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 1 book:
 
1 book cites this book:

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

How I Became a Pirate
85% buy the item featured on this page:
How I Became a Pirate 4.7 out of 5 stars (99)
$10.88
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC
6% buy
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC 4.4 out of 5 stars (19)
$5.99
Do Pirates Take Baths?
4% buy
Do Pirates Take Baths? 4.5 out of 5 stars (12)
$6.95
Pirates Tattoos (Temporary Tattoos)
3% buy
Pirates Tattoos (Temporary Tattoos) 3.2 out of 5 stars (8)
$1.50
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(23)
(12)
(7)
(5)
(5)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
See all 24 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

99 Reviews
5 star:
 (86)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (99 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
83 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Arr! Can I Be a Pirate, Too?, January 6, 2004
By Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
If ever there were a children's book that played into every child's foibles, dreams, and tastes, it's Melinda Long's "How I Became a Pirate."
I've got to believe that just about everyone out there, young and old, will find something amusing and true to life in this fine children's offering.

A sand castle of unusual quality built by Jeremy Jacob attracts a misfit band of not-too-scary pirates in search of a master digger to help bury their ill-gotten booty. Jeremy soon finds that the pirate life is for him--staying up till all hours, saying "Arr," and foregoing vegetables. But after finding no one to tuck him in at night (in a hilarious pirate pile illustrated with great touches by David Shannon), Jeremy has second thoughts about a life on the seven seas. In the end, he gets the last laugh in a delicious little twist ending.

I will consistently go back to books like "How I Became a Pirate" for their gentle humor, wonderful illustrations, and pleasant reading that appeals to children. It's hard to go wrong with those qualities and you would go wrong if you passed up this delightful little book. I know my three year old son ate up every word and drawing in it. A surefire nominee for the 2004 Caldecott medal, in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars And it is it is a glorious thing to be a pirate king., August 9, 2004
While kids have always loved pirates and the piratical life (Peter Pan, anyone?), the current pirate craze sweeping the nation is somewhat amazing. Suddenly there are pirate Saturday morning tv shows, an official Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19), pirate movies making a mil, and pirate picture books. The breathtaking success of Melinda Long's, "How I Became a Pirate" is a little odd, but it couldn't have happened to a nicer story. Full of all the classic words and actions pirates partake of (with the possible exception of walking the plank) the book's a good hearted take on one boy's dream to be a scurvy dog.

Jeremy Jacob is the only person on the beach that notices when a pirate ship docks near the ocean shore. Jeremy, up until this moment, has been building a sand castle, yet the sight of the ship doesn't seem to get anyone's attention but his own. When Captain Braid Beard and his crew of seven see Jeremy's sand castle skills they are instantly impressed. They've a treasure to bury after all and Jeremy's just the lad to help them. Off he goes to join the pirate's life! There's a lot of "Aargh!"s and "landlubbers" to learn. Lots of talking with your mouth full, on board soccer (Jeremy teaches them how to play), and pillow fights. Unfortunately, Jeremy also learns that sweet comforts like getting tucked in ("No tucking!", the crew cried) getting a bedtime story, and receiving a goodnight kiss are lacking on this ship. After deciding that maybe he doesn't want to be a pirate after all, Jeremy finds the perfect place for his friendly crew to hide the booty. In the end, the pirates sail away happy and Jeremy goes back to his soccer practice.

A caveat: I'd like to be honest with you and state for the record that any picture book containing the sentence, "We must have taken a wrong turn at Bora Bora", instantly has my love. The story is full of fabulous pirate-inspired sentences like that one (though I suspect that particular line has been foisted from a Bugs Bunny cartoon). The pirates for their own part are happy go lucky fellows, ready to welcome their newest crewmate on board, no questions asked. There's never a scary moment on this particular ship, though the pirates deal with a sudden storm with some relative panic. David Shannon is the illustrator of this particular outing and as such he's great. Jeremy Jacob is your typical soccer playing tyke. The pirates themselves are the real stars of this show, however. With their terribly rotted teeth and scarred cheeks they might be scary if they weren't so darn appealing. Kids will enjoy watching the pirate with the patches over both eyes as he lifts first one and then another to see his fellows. Shannon places infinite little details and touches throughout his work as well. The shipboard cat is forever attempting to devour the captain's parrot. The largest and meanest pirate is seen patiently buttoning up his pajamas as Jeremy and the captain engage in a pillow fight. All in all, the illustrations in this story fit Long's writing perfectly. You couldn't ask for a better pairing of author and illustrator together.

I think kids everywhere have already figured out what grown-ups are only now discovering. Pirates are eternally amusing. This book just taps into the already existing piratical love sweeping the nation. Had this book been lucky enough to win a Caldecott award, I wouldn't have batted an eye. It's a wonderfully rousing tale. A feel good pirate piece, if you will. And a perfect addition to any up and coming young pirate's library. Fun for the whole fam.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, May 22, 2007
By Piper (Urbana, IL USA) - See all my reviews
We got this book for our son's fourth birthday. He is very much into pirates at the moment, and he LOVES this book. It has wonderful illustrations, good vocabulary, and a wonderful message about the fun of adventure and the comfort of returning home.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect "Pirate"
This really cute story came in great condition and in time to be read several times before I take my grandchildren to its performance at our local children's theater.
Published 12 days ago by Rosalie N. Gwinn

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book!
My three year old son absolutely loves this book and often asks me to read it two or three times in a row. He will repeat the lines to me from the book during the day. Read more
Published 1 month ago by V. Stoffels

5.0 out of 5 stars How I Became a Pirate
My 3 year old grandson loved it! His mom told me it really sparked his imagination!
Published 1 month ago by Janet D. Greenwald

5.0 out of 5 stars how I became a pirate
I bought this book for my 4yo grandson. He loved the book. I also got this sword. It has a button to push that talks pirate jargon... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mary Freeman

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too
While at the beach, a young boy named Jeremy Jacob looks up from his sand castle to find a pirate ship approaching the beach. Read more
Published 3 months ago by TeensReadToo.com

5.0 out of 5 stars My son's favorite book (right now).
We are big fans of David Shannon's books and my son loves pirates. We already had How I Became a Pirate when we came across this book at our local bookstore. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Hotchkin

4.0 out of 5 stars Very cute story
I really enjoyed reading this adventure to my three year old grandson. The illustrations are wonderful and I appreciate how friendly the pirates look. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Davis

3.0 out of 5 stars cute, but...
not exceptional. I like the artwork, but the story is not exceptional. my son does not request this book like he does a few others.
Published 4 months ago by K. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Illustrations and magical story
Bought for 5 year old grandson. Lovely book with wonderfully illustrations in bright, vivid colors. The story is terrific. Read more
Published 6 months ago by S. Chabot

1.0 out of 5 stars My son cried since the boy was kidnapped!
This is a very cute book and well written with one major flaw...the litle boy is kidnapped by the pirates!!! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Trying to forgive

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
acclaimed historical books for kids and teens 1 January 2008
book suggestions for kindergarten read aloud?? 2 November 2007
› See all 2 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:





















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.