Title:
The Gingrbread Pirates Author: Kristin Kladstrup
Illustrator: Matt Tavares, who also illustrated Lady Liberty: A Biography and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
Recommended for Ages: 4 to 8
Story: Who knew that there were such things as gingerbread pirates and that they lead such exciting lives? This imaginative tale by Kristin Kladstrup provides a new look at perils of being one of the cookies left for Santa and what can happen when Santa Claus adds a little Christmas magic to the situation. Part of the magic of the story comes from the watercolor and gouache illustrations by Matt Tavares. The gingerbread pirates, with their frosting outfits, look as if you could just lift them off the page and eat them.
The story begins on Christmas Eve with a young boy, Jim, making gingerbread men with his mother. These are not ordinary gingerbread men; they are a pirate crew. Jim's favorite is the captain whom Jim names Captain Cookie. While he keeps Captain Cookie for himself, some of the gingerbread pirate crew are left out for Santa Claus. Jim takes Captain Cookie to his bedroom, but when Jim falls asleep, Captain Cookie goes to find his crew.
After a treacherous descent down the stairs, a frightening confrontation with a hungry mouse and a reunion with two of the crew members, Captain Cookie has to defend his crew against the big man looking for cookies. But the big man is Santa Claus and by Christmas morning a surprising transformation has taken place, one that brings joy to both the pirates and to Jim.
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763632236
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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