The Pirate Princess Book Review

 

Author: Alva Sachs

Illustrator: Patricia Krebs

Publisher: Three Wishes Publishing Company

Released: July 22, 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 978-0979638053

Reviewer: Ellwyn Autumn

Rating: 4 Lemon Drops 

A celebration of imaginative play at its finest.

Review:

Book Summary:

Madison is unhappy. She and her friends’ plans to play outside washed away with the rainstorm. Luckily, Madison’s mother suggests that she invite her friends to their house for the day. Mom even promises to make everyone a special lunch.

The salvaged play date quickly turns into a day full of extravagant fun only a creative group of children could dream up. Grabbing hold of a few laundry baskets that transform into pirate ships, the gang embarks on an extraordinary sea voyage to an island where they find hidden treasure.

Opinion:

The Pirate Princess celebrates imaginative play at its finest. It proves how lively and fruitful a youngster’s creativity is when allowed to flourish unhindered by electronics.

Take away your child’s video games, switch them out for a few laundry baskets, and watch where their imaginations take them. 

Krabs’ illustrations are warm and folksy. They add a pleasant down-to-earth element that pleases the eye and puts you in the mood for a child-oriented adventure.

I also appreciated the interactive elements at the end of the book. It encourages each reader to draw a Treasure Island Map and a picture of themselves as a pirate. It’s a warmup for their own pirate experiences.

That being said, I have one teeny criticism I’d like to discuss. I was a little let down when we didn’t get to see what was inside the pirate chest, after traveling with the characters and patiently waiting for them to open it.

I’m guessing this was intentional to encourage children to speculate as to the chest’s mysterious contents, but all the same it disappointed me after all the buildup.

I even checked to make certain I hadn’t skipped a page when I read the book.  

I give it 4 Lemon Drops!

 Classroom Connection: 

Targeted Vocabulary: mateys, masts, telescope, perched, compass 

The Pirate Princess is an excellent book for a dive into the endless possibilities of imaginative play.

It would make a great companion story to any fairytale or pirate unit. After a reading, convert your dramatic play into a pirate ship and let your kiddos imaginations go wild.

Resources:

Pirate Theme Pinterest Board

About The Author:

lva Sachs was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After receiving her Bachelor of Science from University of Illinois, and Master's of Education from Northern Illinois University, she taught elementary school for sixteen years.

She now resides in Calabasas, California with her husband, Paul, and their Schnoodle, Sadie.

Reading to her classes over those years were some of Alva's most treasured memories. Her love of teaching and raising her own three children led her to follow her dream to write books for children.

About The Illustrator:

Multimedia artist Patricia Krebs talks about life: the complexity of humanity, the connections within ourselves, each other, and to the Earth. Krebs's mixed media pieces combine collage, ink and acrylic on canvas.

She then playfully combines gestural painting and line drawing with detailed photos, small pieces of text and three-dimensional objects.

Patricia Krebs grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Throughout her young life she attended art institutions where she participated in group classes of music, art, puppetry, drama, literature, dance and movement.

She went to an arts High School and a College of Fine Arts and obtained three degrees in Art, including one in Contemporary Visual Arts from the National University of Art (UNA).

Along with her formal education, Krebs studied guitar and singing lessons at the Walter Malosetti Superior School of Jazz. She moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to work as a full-time visual artist and musician.