Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Pirates don't knit, generally speaking, but a young one named Ned does, and he's sticking with it. His jolly colleagues sing, "We're tougher than gristle and barnacle grit,/ We heave, and we ho, and we swab, and we..." "Knit!" finishes Ned, who's sitting behind a barrel doing just that. "A scurvy pirate doesn't knit, nor wear a fuzzy hat," the captain growls. Writing verse that hits every metrical accent with a rousing beat is no easy task, but Murray (City Shapes) crafts her rhymes as conscientiously as Ned works on his knitting. In Lammle's (Princess Wannabe) nonthreatening pirate world, captain and crew have big troll-like noses, and they dance and sing when the pirating is going well. An attack on the ship by a hungry, reptilian sea monster gives Ned the chance to show how handy it is to have an extra-cozy knitted blanket on hand. Ned's stout commitment to knitting and his poise in the face of derision make him a thoroughly lovable hero. Ages 6-9. Author's agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. Illustrator's agency: Wernick & Pratt. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The scurvy pirates aboard the Rusty Heap are a scruffy and scrappy and happy crew. "We're tougher than gristle and barnacle grit./We heave, and we ho, and we swab, and we...knit!!!" Or at least Ned does, much to the captain's disgust. Readers join a celebration when Ned's enormous hand-knitted blanket saves the day by sending a sail-eating sea monster back to the deep for a 100-year-long nap. Murray's couplets flow with unique images like a "skull-trim appliqué" and a "briny ocean beast." Lammle's charming, rounded cartoon characters include a watchful mermaid and a monkey who appears on nearly every page. The soft palette and friendly crew should please even the youngest pirate fans. Makers will want to take Ned's lead and teach their mates a stitch or two. VERDICT A great read-aloud for pirate-themed storytimes, and, by tale's end, listeners will join in on the refrain.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Young Ned likes to knit, which doesn't make him popular among his gruff pirate shipmates. But when a ferocious ocean beast attacks the Rusty Heap, the predictable happens: Ned's hobby saves the day, and everyone learns a lesson about acceptance. The tone is kept light by bouncy rhymes with scrappy pirate speak and the illustrations' soft, seafoamy colors and smiley, rounded swashbucklers. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Can one pirate ship contain both knitting needles and pirates' cutlasses?In a rollicking and rhyming adventure filled with delightfully seaworthy words, Ned, a pirate, loves to knit. The captain firmly and loudly objects. "A scurvy pirate doesn't knit, nor wear a fuzzy hat." The crew bravely sails and digs up treasure while relishing their lack of manners. "We're grouchy and slouchy. We don't ever quit! / We slurp, and we burp, and we gulp, and we / KNIT!!!"that last word is from Ned, a running joke. Alas, Ned the knitter must stow his needles and yarns until a (not particularly fearsome but very hungry) monster attacks. Who or what can save the ship from this creature that resembles an oversized bath toy? Ned has the perfect solution, one that converts the pirates into a bevy of dedicated knitters and will not surprise readers one delighted jot. Murray has great fun with her tale, which is perfect for reading aloud. Lammle's colorfully cartoonish art depicts a very appealing collection of sea creatures and pirates (mostly light-skinned, including Ned and the mermaid who watches the action from the waves). Ned can be viewed as a bender of gender stereotypes with great appeal to all.Cast on, cast off, and set sail for a great yarn. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
