cover image The Ultimate Pirate Handbook

The Ultimate Pirate Handbook

Libby Hamilton, illus. by Matheiu Leyssenne and Jason Kraft. Candlewick/Templar, $19.99 (20p) ISBN 978-0-7636-7963-7

Hamilton follows The Fairy Tale Handbook and The Monstrous Book of Monsters with an irreverent guide to the pirate life, full of information about crew hierarchy, slang, traditions, legendary ghost ships, and more. Flaps on one spread let readers peer inside a pirate ship as they learn about nautical terminology (they’ll also discover that this particular pirate captain counts a teddy bear among his treasures). Elsewhere, children can give one unlucky pirate an eye patch, as well as multiple peg legs and hooks, by lifting flaps in a section about injuries and diseases. A pop-up hall of fame introduces several notable pirates, including three women, to close out an entertaining book for sprogs looking to become full-fledged sea dogs. Ages 5–8. (Aug.)