Preschool Book Review – How I Became A Pirate

“Nobody tells pirates to go to bed, to take a bath, or to brush their teeth. (Maybe that’s why their teeth are green.) Pirates sleep with one eye open – just in case. And they don’t change into pajamas – unless they want to. Pirates don’t do anything they don’t want to – except for maybe swabbing the decks. I wanted to be a pirate forever.”

Jeremy Jacob was enjoying a peaceful day at the beach, minding his own business and building a sand castle, when he saw a pirate ship sailing towards the beach. His parents were busy with his baby sister and setting up the beach umbrella so Jeremy greeted the pirates all by himself. The pirates needed someone who could dig holes for them to bury their treasure in and Jeremy just happened to be a great digger so he offers to go along and help them.

Jeremy learns all about what life as a pirate is like. He thinks it is great having no rules and playing all day until he realizes that pirates do not read bedtime stories or tuck little boys into bed. Jeremy helps the pirates find the perfect place to bury their treasure and Jeremy was ready to go back home and be a little boy again.

“How I Became a Pirate” was written by Melinda Long and illustrated by favorite children’s author, David Shannon. In typical Shannon fashion, the illustrations are full of deeply colorful characters and small additions that will make preschoolers laugh. This imaginative story about a day at the beach will get preschoolers thinking about the many possibilities in the world around them. Jeremy Jacob is a lovable character that preschoolers will be able to relate to.

Pirates are so appealing to preschoolers and this comic tale is mellow enough not to frighten preschoolers with gruesome details that other pirate books include. The pirates themselves are fun loving and gentle and would attract any adventure loving preschooler.