This collection of 19 short poems employs stereotypical pirate-speak to describe all aspects of a pirate’s life, and manages to be instructive (“The Pirates’ Code of Conduct” states, “It’s best to yell/And blest to smell”) and informative (“Pirate Patter” defines some of the most-often-used pirate vocabulary), as well as witty (“A pirate’s life is topsy-turvy,/Full of strife and rife with scurvy”) and entertaining (“At night we navigate by starrr!/We’re hard as nails with many a scarrr!”). The illustrations depict pirates with the expected bloodshot eyes, gold teeth, and stubbly chins, but are also often sly (a whale with an eyepatch, a seagull making a deposit atop a pirate’s head, Blackbeard’s mother sporting the same facial hair as her son). It is nice to note that there are both male and female pirates, and also pirates of many races. The illustrator, Robert Neubecker, lives in Park City. These poems could inspire a poetry festival, readers’ theatre, or short play. Lively collections about everything from pirate's weapons, to their diet, to their patter (pillage, scurvy dog, heave to, etc.). Poems and illustrations are humorous and full of surprises--one two-page spread has you turn the page vertically to see a pirate in full regalia with a movie camera filming him. The celebration end with a poem titled, A Pirate's LIfe, that concludes "Fights are settled by a duel./No vacations, as a rule./Days of boring life at sea--/A pirate's life is not for me. A perfect ending for a child's foray into the lives of these nautical outlaws.
What do You think about Shiver Me Timbers!: Pirate Poems & Paintings (2012)?
pirate fans will love this book of poetry which will be out just in time for speak like a pirate day
—Taamuunaa
Fun variety of poems about pirates with detailed fun illustrations.
—Blackbirdme
