Bibliography:
Adkins, J. (2004). What if you met a pirate?: an historical voyage of seafaring speculation. Brookfield, Ct: Roaring Brook Press.
Book Summary:
What would you do if you ever met a pirate? Would you be able to identify if he were a real life pirate, or an impostor? These are just a few of the questions that can be answered by this book. Packed full of information about pirates, this non-fiction book gives you the tools to recognize different pirate traits, and even debunks common myths about them. If you want fun facts about the lives of pirates and their daily activities, look no further!
My Thoughts:
Who doesn't love pirates? Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun book about what to anticipate if you really did meet a real life pirate. It is a funny book, with lots of fun facts about the lives of pirates. I also loved the illustrations, especially the ones that helped to identify the different parts and accessories of the pirates. This book is great for readers of all ages, especially those who want to learn about pirates in a fun way.
Professional Reviews:
*Adkins rejects the conventional glamorous image of the pirate to construct a scruffier, though only slightly less romanticized, one in this sweeping history of privateers, buccaneers, freebooters, and similar nautical nogoodnicks. Though he may characterize them as “violent, wicked criminals,” he downplays the more lurid tales of their bad behavior, focusing instead on generalities about their habits, hygiene (“Most pirates had bad teeth, and not very many of them”), and seamanship. He also introduces Sir Francis Drake, William Kidd, Henry Morgan, and other piratical luminaries—often so that he can go on about their bad ends. Scattering loosely drawn but practiced vignettes of men and ships around snippets of historical fact, Adkins offers nothing new beyond a distinctly personal tone, but the topic is hot just now, and there’s enough about ships and sailing here to draw more than narrowly focused pirate fans. (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10)
(2004, September 1). [Review of the book What if you met a pirate?: an historical voyage of seafaring speculation by Jan Adkins]. Kirkus Review. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jan-adkins/what-if-you-met-a-pirate/#review
* Many of us have a very colorful image of what a pirate must have been like. They wore flamboyant clothes, had a parrot sitting on their shoulder, usually only had one leg, and were armed to the teeth. This is a wonderful image to imagine when you are playing at pirates at the bottom of the garden but real pirates weren’t really like this. They were, in fact, sailors. Most of the time they had to take care of their ship raising sails, scrubbing decks, and doing any number of normal everyday sort of jobs. Every so often a pirate would be called on to attack a ship, but it was not something that happened all the time.
Pirates were really nothing more than thieves at sea who worked for themselves or for others. They were often dirty, ill-fed, and injuries were not uncommon, for being a sailor was a dangerous profession. Many were sailors who had once been in the navy and who had run away from that miserable life. As pirates they had more control over their lives and were not subjected to the cruel punishments that the navy was famous for.In this excellent book, many pirate myths and fables are laid to rest but that does not mean that pirates come out looking boring. Far from it. Readers discover that they had a fascinating history, that they lived in interesting times, and that many of their number were very colorful characters indeed. If you have ever wondered how pirates attacked their quarry, how they sailed their ships, what they did all day, and how they lives their lives, then this is the book for you. Packed with facts and filled with colorful annotated illustrations, this book is a must for young pirate fans
(N.d.). [Review of the book What if you met a pirate?: an historical voyage of seafaring speculation by Jan Adkins]. Through The Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews. Retrieved from http://lookingglassreview.com/html/blank_review_for_copying32.html
Suggested Activities:
I would most definitely have talk like a pirate day after reading this at story time! I would also have the children make pirate hats, eye patches, and decorate construction paper treasure chests, and have them glue pictures (cut from magazines by me beforehand) of what they considered to be treasure onto them.
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