Pirate Mom

by Deborah Underwood, Stephen Gilpin (Illustrator)

Overview

Join Pete, whose mom has been hypnotized to believe she's actually a pirate, on his adventure to get his mom to remember who she really is!

Yo ho ho! Pete loves pirates, but his mom thinks they are rude and messy. Then Pete and his mom go to see the Amazing Marco, and Marco hypnotizes Pete’s mom into thinking she’s a pirate! Now Pete’s mom won’t behave. She chases the neighbors. She steals underwear off other people’s clotheslines. She’s even flying the Jolly Roger over the house. Pete has to find the Amazing Marco. He wants his real mom back!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375833236
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/23/2006
Series:	Step into Reading Book Series: A Step 3 Book
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	166,771
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.14(d)
Lexile:	300L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Deborah Underwood is the author of numerous fiction books for children, including A Balloon for Isabel, Pirate Mom, Part-Time Princess, and the New York Times bestsellers Here Comes the Easter Cat, The Quiet Book, and The Loud Book. She has written more than 25 nonfiction books for children, and her work has appeared in National Geographic Kids, Ladybug, Spider, and Highlights for Children. She lives in Northern California with her cat, Bella.

Stephen Gilpin has been working as an illustrator and cartoonist since 2000 and has nearly 20 picture books and chapter books under his belt. Gilpin is known for Sneezy the Snowman, Even Firefighters Go to the Potty, Pirate Mom, 100 Snowmen, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Pete loves to pretend that he is a pirate, and is disappointed when his mother does not want to join in and play. She does have tickets for the two of them to see a magic show, and offers herself as a candidate for hypnotism. Peter tells the magician that he wants his mom to think of herself as a pirate. A bit far-fetched, yes, but it gets even more outlandish. The magician dashes away to the hospital because his wife is having a baby, leaving mom as a pirate! Pete's mom takes her role very seriously, which creates all kinds of embarrassing situations. Resourceful Pete saves the day and mom becomes her old self. The magician's thank you is that denouement. A contemporary cartoon style fills the pages of this level 3 book in the "Step into Reading" series. This early reader has an opening page entitled "Dear Parent," which gives information about the books in this series and tips on helping children learn to read.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

K-Gr 2-Pete loves to play pirates, but his mom never wants to play along. Her latest plan to get out of it includes tickets to see the Amazing Marco. When it is time for the Hypno-Trance, it is, of course, Pete's mother who is called up on stage. Marco asks what she should be turned into and Pete calls out, "A pirate!" Suddenly, Marco is called away. His wife is having a baby and Pete's mom is left as a pirate. There are many pages of her shaking her mixing spoon, her eye ablaze (the other eye has a black patch), and shouting at people. The worst part is when the PTA arrives for their meeting and she demands their loot. Pete then rushes her to the hospital, where the Amazing Marco restores her to her former self. In the end, Pete receives two more tickets from the magician to make up for his trouble. With fairly realistic illustrations but a dry plot, there is nothing particularly bad about Pirate Mom, but there is little to recommend it, either.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

A stock shtick receives a fresh, funny treatment in this reader for primary grades. When he learns that his wife is having a baby, the Amazing Marco abruptly ends his magic show and dashes to the hospital. But he's just put Pete's mom into a "hypno-trance" and turned her into a pirate at the avid boy's suggestion. Pete can barely contain his mom's antics as she, in head scarf and eye patch, challenges the mail carrier and the PTA. Kids will giggle as Pirate Mom reacts to Pete's attempt to order her into the kitchen: "You scurvy lad! I will not!" Quick-thinking Pete tracks Marco down at the hospital, and there's a funny spread with the magician cradling his new son (the "Fabulous Harold"), on whose bald head perches a tiny top hat. The contrite Marco obligingly re-hypnotizes Pete's mom, and for their trouble, sends them a pair of tickets to his next magic show. Appealingly cartoony illustrations suit the silly fun: a winner. (Easy reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews