Review - Pirates Don't Change Diapers

Pirates Don't Change Diapers
by Melinda Long
illustrated by David Shannon
Date: 2007
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 44
Format: e-book
Source: library

When the pirate crew turns up at Jeremy Jacob's house and accidentally wakes his baby sister, that wee scallywag howls louder than a storm on the high seas. Sure, there's buried treasure to be found, but nobody's digging up anything until Bonney Anne quits her caterwauling. So, quicker than you can say scurvy dog," Braid Beard and his swashbuckling pirates become . . . babysitters? Blimey!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Pirates Don't Change Diapers is a fun story for young children who just can't get enough of pirates.

One day, when Jeremy Jacob's mother has to make a run to the store, she tells him to watch his baby sister. But when his friends--a rowdy bunch of pirates--show up, looking for their treasure, he's got a big problem. Nobody's allowed to dig for treasure until the baby's calmed down, so the pirates have to put their childcare skills to the test.

This is obviously the second book about Jeremy Jacob and his pirate friends, as they're already familiar with each other. But this book can still be enjoyed on its own. The detailed illustrations are fun to look at, especially when the pirates are trying to do basic things like feed a baby and change a diaper. The ending is cute, too, and ties in with the beginning of the story in a sweet way.

Overall, this is a fun story. I haven't seen a ton of good pirate picture books out there. This is definitely one of them.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5