The Word Pirates

Captain Rottingbones and his fellow swashbucklers don't go after the usual kinds of plunder: with the help of feathered henchman called Bumblebirds, they steal words from unsuspecting storytellers around the world and gobble them up "for breakfast, lunch and dinner." But one storyteller, "a Word Wizard, a zany New Zealander," who wears a rainbow wig just like the late author Margaret Mahy (also the subject of the lovely dedication), fights back. She vanquishes the pirates ("A word-spinning pen is mightier than a pilfering pirate's sword!" Cooper writes), then graciously gives them a fresh start: in the final pages, they're eating vegetables and learning to use words rather than eat them. The story feels a touch prescriptive, a component that slows the pacing, but Kellogg's signature art overflows with the color, movement, and expression of a vintage carnival poster. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

K-Gr 2--With a roar, Captain Rottingbones demands words! Pirates love eating words after all. So out go the Bumblebirds to retrieve the written delights of storytellers worldwide. To storytellers and story lovers though, this is an atrocious act. The Word Wizard and the children she was reading to give chase. Just as the ogre-like pirates begin to attack, a story stream sprouts from the author's absurdly large pen. Awed, the pirates have an epiphany. Cooper's words are deliciously funny, and have several important messages to share about the value of stories. Like the pirates, there are greedy people who wish to destroy them, though the children know them as the influential, magical things they are. Even the pirates turn over a new leaf once they realize this, learning to read and write in order to enjoy the benefits, too. Kellogg's comical style perfectly complement's Cooper's flair. With the storyteller tone, lush palette, and oddball characters, they have created a whimsical adventure where a Word Wizard, and the children, are the heroes. VERDICT Two prominent creators of children's literature have combined their powers to deliver a memorably funny tale about the value of stories. For its potential to create future readers, this book is invaluable.--Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.