Roger, the Jolly Pirate » (Reprint)

Brett Helquist is a widely celebrated artist. His illustrations have graced books from the charming Roger, the Jolly Pirate to Dickens's timeless A Christmas Carol to the alarming New York Times bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two children.

Roger is too jolly to be a pirate.

He does not scowl, growl, or strike fear into sailors' hearts like his pirate friends. So poor Roger is sent away whenever there is any real pirating to be done. Then one day, in the middle of a great battle, Jolly Roger cooks up a wonderful idea . . . and pirate ships will never be the same again!

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz - Children's Literature

Back in the days before famous pirates like Black Beard, there was a lousy pirate named Roger. Here he is sent down into the hold whenever there is serious pirate business, because he can't tell starboard from larboard and he is too pleasant to make anyone afraid of him. His shipmates call him Jolly Roger, and not nicely. The ship he sails on is "the terror of the high seas." When their only worth enemy, the Admiral, attacks, Roger is sent below. There, while trying to bake a cake to mollify his mates, he causes a double-page explosion that frightens the Admiral and his men away. To honor this absurd event, the sailors make a special flag, now known as the Jolly Roger. The subtle humor of the story is magnified by the not-so-subtle double-page scenes of scowling pirates doing dastardly things and of Roger's zany ultimate misadventure. The pictures emphasize the rugged life at sea, the confusion of battle, even the ornate elegance of the Admiral's uniform, all with exaggerated comedy. The depiction of Roger after his explosive entrance is particularly funny. Words and music for "The Ballad of Jolly Roger" are included to extend the fun. 2004, HarperCollins Publishers, and Ages 4 to 8.