Pirate Pete's Giant Adventure

The brother-sister team who created Pirate Pete (2002) pick up right where the first book left off: Pirate Pete and his faithful parrot sidekick are stranded in a rowboat after a botched treasure hunt. "Oh, I wish I hads a ship!" Pete moans, and, instantly, a mermaid-genie appears to strike a deal: if Pete finds the missing Sea-Fairy Sapphire and returns it to the sea, then his wish will be granted. Guided by instructions to "follow the sound of thunder," Pete soon locates the magical gem in an island cave. The hitch? The thunder is caused by an angry giant's footsteps, and, once again, Pete narrowly escapes disaster. The silly adventure, the appealing text's frequent rhymes, the repetitive songs, and Pete's salty-dog dialogue make this a natural for reading aloud, and the dramatic, bright acrylic paintings focus on the expressive characters and will show well to a crowd. Lots of fun for pint-size buccaneers.