Ahoy, Young Mateys! 8 Picture Books about Pirates

Pirate Princess by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Jill McElmurry

This is simply a rhyming communicative astir a girl, Bea, who isn’t a “regular” princess. Looking for adventure, she decides to articulation a pirate ship, but she finds it beauteous hard to ingratiate herself with the crew, contempt her champion efforts (which see immoderate unspeakable cooking and some, erm, adjacent much disgusting seasickness which McElmurry vividly renders crossed 2 pages). While I americium personally averse to seeing immoderate grounds of queasiness, that aforementioned dispersed would astir apt beryllium comic to different readers of a definite property and disposition.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an oculus connected your inbox.

By signing up you hold to our terms of use

It’s Not a School Bus, It’s a Pirate Ship by Mickey Rapkin and illustrated by Teresa Martinez

I enjoyed this publication rather a bit, astir apt since I rode a schoolhouse autobus a batch arsenic a kid and dreaded it, for the astir part. I consciousness similar Martinez’s illustrations perfectly seizure the scariness of climbing onto a schoolhouse autobus afloat of rowdy children. Luckily, the autobus operator tells her caller complaint not to worry, “this autobus is simply a pirate ship!” and truthful they acceptable disconnected connected an escapade together. If you similar this, you mightiness besides effort Rapkin’s and Martinez’s It’s Not a Bed, It’s a Time Machine.

The Pirate Tree by Brigita Orel and illustrated by Jennie Poh

This features a duo, Sam and Agu, who extremity up imagining a pirate escapade together. At first, Sam is wary since she says that Agu isn’t idiosyncratic she knows and isn’t “from her street.” Apparently, Agu has conscionable arrived successful the country and the different kids aren’t including him successful their play. Fortunately for them both, Agu isn’t wholly discouraged by Sam’s unfriendliness and persists. Eventually, helium convinces her to see him since helium knows thing astir ships and the brace accelerated go friends.

Bad Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters and illustrated by Dean Griffiths

This is simply a comforting pirate work with dogs arsenic the heroes and villains. For immoderate this volition particularly entreaty arsenic you volition beryllium capable to usage your Pirate connection skills to work this aloud to yourself and others (or conscionable yourself because, seriously, nary judgement here, you should bash immoderate you enjoy). If you similar this, besides cheque retired Good Pirate by the aforesaid writer and illustrator.

Prince and Pirate by Charlotte Gunnufson and illustrated by Mike Lowery

A comic communicative astir an unusual mates who extremity up virtually thrown together. I consciousness similar quarreling siblings mightiness spot themselves successful this publication and someway find communal ground, but I conjecture that mightiness beryllium a spot excessively overmuch for the kiddos. However, if you are astir squabbling small ones, you mightiness peculiarly bask the main characters’ ridiculous snipes. At turns saccharine and silly, I truly enjoyed these 2 characters and would beryllium blessed to spot much of them successful the future.

Small Saul written and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Saul dreams of a beingness connected the oversea and yet signs up for pirate schoolhouse (no, that’s not a thing, but possibly it should be?). And he’s not truly chopped retired for it but with immoderate persistence helium graduates. Charming and comic illustrations brace good with this communicative astir being yourself. I particularly liked that his hard won diploma reads “You ARRR a Pirate” (see the fantabulous gag supra successful lawsuit you missed it).

Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Kerstin Meyer, and translated by Chantal Wright

Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Liz Wong

This publication is simply a coagulated summation to the database successful a fig of ways: beardown pistillate lead, analyzable and imaginative communicative based connected immoderate humanities fact, and visually absorbing illustrations. However, carnivore successful caput that it is nonstop astir hard topics similar the abduction of women, suicide, and death. I enjoyed the author’s enactment astatine the extremity successful which she explains concisely what is known and chartless astir the pistillate who became Zheng Yi’s woman and a precise palmy pirate queen successful the aboriginal 1800s. Recommended for older readers who volition beryllium capable to grip immoderate of the much hard aspects of the story. Highly recommended for big readers too.

The Antlered Ship by Dashka Slater and Illustrated by the Fan Brothers

And present is 1 much “bonus” rubric to adhd to this list, a publication successful which pirates marque an appearance! This is simply a lovely, contemplative communicative astir a radical of animals who acceptable sail for the unfastened sea. Along the way, they conscionable a pirate vessel (crewed by different anthropomorphic animals) and person to support themselves. Will this tiny carnal pack marque it retired of this scrape? And if they do, what volition they bash after? I enjoyed some the communicative and the beauteous illustrations successful this one. Now that I’ve seen what the Fan Brothers tin do, I intelligibly besides request a transcript of The Night Gardener. No pirates successful that one, conscionable precise awesome illustrations.