A Year on a Pirate Ship, by Elizabeth Havercroft, 24 pages.
@ SPL: J 793.73 Hav

What do pirates do throughout the twelve months of the year besides chasing and attacking other ships? How do they overpower the crews of other vessels, and do pirate ships always carry the Jolly Roger flag? Where do pirates bury their treasure, and do they like to build sandcastles on the beach after burying their treasure? Most importantly, how often do they take baths, change their socks and brush their teeth – if ever?

As this book proves, the life of a pirate is a busy one - from surviving dangerous storms at sea to attacking other ships - and it certainly isn’t dull or easy!

Young children who are interested in pirates will be intrigued by this book which is full of action-packed illustrations with many things to notice and find. It’s just one of the Time Goes By series for children; other titles include A Year in a Castle, A Year in the World of Dinosaurs and A Year at a Construction Site. Each book in the series offers suggestions for activities and further reading relating to the book’s theme, plus a short glossary.

** Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years.
Find this book in the library catalogue.

The No-Good Do-Good Pirates, by Jim Kraft, 32 pages.
@ SPL: JP Kraft

Oh, those pirates! “Good” is definitely an unknown concept for them as they spend their days doing all sorts of evil deeds, which include plundering children’s birthday parties, stealing toys ….and even making teddy bears walk the plank of their ship, the Flying Pig! Can anyone deter these awful rogues - the scurvy Captain Squint, Ed the Fierce, One-Tooth Willy and Smelly Bob - from their reign of terror and nastiness?

When the no-good pirates are finally caught by the law, they are found guilty of robbing, looting and keeping a parrot without a license. However, they aren’t sent to prison (it’s closed for spring cleaning); instead, they are ordered to do one good deed before sundown.

Now the pirates are in real trouble! How can they accomplish this with no idea of what a “good deed” is?

Lacking a dictionary (and a public library), the pirates proceed to make some wildly unsuccessful guesses of what would constitute a good deed in the eyes of the townspeople. Finally, just before sundown, tired and discouraged, the four pirates happen by the harbour, just in time to see the notorious pirate ship, the Sea Monkey, arrive to plunder the town. Is this the pirates’ opportunity to do a good deed? Well …. maybe …. but in a very unexpected way!

Children will enjoy joining these hapless pirates in a thoroughly hilarious and swashbuckling adventure!

** Recommended for ages 3 to 7 years.
Find this book in the library catalogue.

Rosie and the Nightmares, by Philip Waechter, 24 pages.
@ SPL: JP Waech

Poor Rosie the Rabbit! Every night, she would experience another scary “monster nightmare”. It had been like that for weeks, with each night bringing another horrible dream – and Rosie was tired of it. So one day, she went to visit a dream specialist.

“Hmmmm”, said the specialist, and wrote her a prescription for a wonderful book that gave all sorts of helpful advice about dealing with monsters. Rosie was intrigued. She read the book all day, and when she was finished, she began to use her newfound knowledge to develop a plan of action – a plan which would tame those terrifying night monsters for good!

The next day, she put her plan into action. It worked beautifully. Never again would Rosie the Rabbit be terrified by ghastly dreams about monsters.

Philip Waechter’s picture book exemplifies the value of confronting one’s fears, no matter how huge and frightening they might seem at first. Rose is a feisty heroine who proves that courage is not the absence of fear… instead, courage is acknowledging and overcoming one’s fears.

This book will likely interest the many young children who have a nighttime fear of the dark when the lights are turned out at bedtime.

** Recommended for ages 4 to 7 years.
Find this book in the library catalogue.

Princess Peepers, by Pam Calvert, 30 pages.
@ SPL: JP Calve

Princess Peepers loved wearing all of her many pairs of glasses. These included her sparkly glasses (to match her sparkly outfits), her bug glasses (to wear when bug-catching), and her very favourite rose-coloured glasses (to wear most of the time). In short, Princess Peepers was never without a pair of glasses perched on her nose, and she was perfectly happy and at ease wearing them.

Everything changed, however, when Princess Peepers started attending the Royal Academy for Perfect Princesses. Teased beyond endurance by the other princesses about her “extra set of eyeballs”, the Princess decided not to wear glasses anymore – not even her beloved sparkly glasses. From that point on, she walked, ran and fell into trouble everywhere she went - for Princess Peepers truly did need glasses!

One evening, the Princess fell into a different type of “trouble” – the arms of a handsome prince - who also needed glasses! Suddenly Princess Peepers gained a brand-new perspective on the value of clear sight.

Readers can guess the happy ending to this appealing, well-written story, which carries a gentle message about being one’s self.

** Recommended for ages 4 to 7 years.
Find this book in the library catalogue.

Casey and Derek on the Ice, by Marty Sederman, 28 pages.
@ SPL: JP Seder
Casey and Derek’s hockey team, the Rockets, have exactly one minute left to tie a hard-fought hockey game with the opposing team, the Titans! Can they do it? It doesn’t look promising. The Rockets are tired and are just about completely out of steam. As the suspense in the hockey arena builds and builds, the Titans are sure that they have defeated the “underdogs” and that the game is theirs.
When Casey wins the face-off, it’s up to Derek to score the tying goal. The fans are on their feet … Derek speeds down the ice, cutting through the Titan defense … but just as he’s about to shoot the puck, he is tripped and the final buzzer sounds. Now the Titan fans are on their feet, cheering the win.
However, this rewritten version of Casey at the Bat isn’t finished yet. There’s a twist – with a happy ending for the Rockets.
Young hockey fans will very much enjoy this rhyming picture book which is suspenseful from beginning to end, as well as Zachary Pullen’s illustrations.
Author Marty Sederman, her husband and her sons all enjoy playing hockey.
** Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years.
Click here to find Casey and Derek on the Ice in our online catalogue.

Oh, that stripy cat! What will become of him? Rescued and brought to Mrs. Cosy at the Hummingbird Animal Shelter, the little grey and white-striped cat is up for adoption … but with his rambunctious nature and silly tricks, he’s unlikely to be chosen by anyone. Sure enough, after hiding in drawers, climbing curtains, shrieking like a fire engine, and refusing to come out from under a couch, the little cat is consistently left behind. Every customer who enters the shelter leaves with a new pet that is calmer and more predictable than Stripy Cat. At the end of the day, Mrs. Cosy isn’t sure what to do with him… except to take him home and see what happens…
Readers won’t be able to resist this loveable little cat who appears to have adopted his owner before she has adopted him! That Stripy Cat is Nova Scotia author Norene Smiley’s first picture book. Paired with the illustrations of Ontario artist Tara Anderson, it’s definitely a winner!
** Recommended for ages 3 to 6 years of age. @ SPL: JP Smile
Find this item in the library catalogue.

Marley, the family’s new Labrador pup, didn’t mean to be bad! How was he to know that shoelaces, buttons and Mommy’s eyeglasses were not to eat, and that Daddy’s paycheck wasn’t something to chew – and that the delicious turkey fresh out of the oven wasn’t meant for him? How was he to know that he wasn’t to chase every squirrel within sight or steal underwear from neighbouring clotheslines? And he certainly didn’t have the slightest idea of the awful mess that would result from destroying every feather pillow in the house…
On the other hand, how was his new family to know that the irresistible tiny, squiggly, yellow furball, which came home with Daddy one day, would quickly grow into a large, floppy, but good-hearted dog that would leave a trail of canine chaos everywhere he went?
Just when the family wondered if they should find another home for Marley, something happened to convince them that Marley wasn’t a “bad” dog after all! ­­­ ­­­­
Bad Dog, Marley! was inspired by John Grogan’s best-seller, Marley & Me (also available at the Stratford Public Library). Beautifully illustrated, this is an engaging picture book for young children.
** Recommended for ages 3 to 6 years of age. @ SPL: JP Groga

Could dinosaurs skate? Did they play hockey? Well … perhaps they did!
In this imaginative hockey story, dinosaurs are indeed playing hockey. The fearsome meat-eating dinosaurs have challenged the plant-eating dinos to a match!
The opening face-off, with T-Rex and Triceratops battling for the puck, has fans roaring in the stands, and after that, the hockey action doesn’t stop for a minute.
Dino-Hockey may even have the edge on NHL hockey in this particular game, “unrivalled in history”, with its fascinating cast of dinosaur hockey players.

David has just been chosen as captain of his hockey team! But wait – what exactly will this mean? What responsibilities will he have as team captain?
David does some research, reading about such past NHL captains as Wendel Clark (the Toronto Maple Leafs) and Wayne Gretzky (the Los Angeles Kings). With the help of his dad, he also checks out other notable Canadians who have been leaders in some way: Terry Fox, Roberta Bondar, Rick Hansen, various Canadian prime ministers, and others. He discovers much about leadership – that it involves setting a good example in hard work and perseverance, promoting good morale among team members, and encouraging and supporting the other players. Soon there is an occasion when David is able to apply his knowledge, by helping a team member who faces a language barrier.
Canadian author Mike Leonetti, who has written a number of hockey stories for children, has created an inspiring story in Wendel and the Great One – one which is sure to be popular during this season of hockey. Illustrated by Greg Banning, it is also available in French (Wendel Clark et le Grand Gretzky) at the Stratford Public Library.
** Recommended for ages 6 to 10 years. @ SPL: JP Leone
Find this item in the library catalogue.
In the Stratford Gazette on January 9, 2009

What boy or girl hasn’t built a sandcastle at the beach and wished that it would last for a few days instead of being destroyed in a few minutes by the waves or the wind? Jack loved building sandcastles with high walls and towers, but the sea always took them away. One day, he found a beautiful shell, placed it on the highest turret of his latest sandcastle and made a wish. “I wish my sandcastle was as big as a real castle and I wish that I was king.”
Later that night, he awoke, looked out his bedroom window and saw that his wish had come true. He could see a large, stately castle on the beach. Jack entered and sat upon a seashell throne. “Hail, King Jack!” cheered the crowd. But in the merriment that followed, no one heard the large waves washing against the walls until they gave way and the sea rushed in. The courtiers became sea creatures, while Jack escaped to the highest tower and from there, to safety.
British author and illustrator M.P. Robertson has created a hauntingly exquisite story which isn’t easily forgotten. Can any human power – or magical power - ever be greater than the strength of the sea and of nature?
M.P. Robertson is also the creator of The Egg, The Great Dragon Rescue, The Dragon Snatcher and various other picture books for children.
** Recommended for ages 3 to 6 years of age.
Find this item in the PCIN Library Catalogue.

What better project for a summer day than building a backyard treehouse? Follow Jack and Jill as they fetch some boards of wood, haul them up to a sturdy branch, and fashion them into a roof and a floor. Watch them drape a large, colourful blanket over the roof and down the sides, and, as a final touch, hang a flashlight from the roof. Now Jack and Jill have a wonderful, cozy treehouse … much more fun than fetching a pail of water and falling down the hill with it!
Pamela Edwards’ charming picture book, illustrated by Henry Cole, is a cumulative read-aloud, or “pattern book”. (“This is the branch that held the treehouse that Jack and Jill built. This is the wood that was hauled up to the branch that held the treehouse that Jack and Jill built….”) A pattern book invites young listeners to join in with the repeating phrases and even to “read” the book later on their own, using the accompanying illustrations – a beginning step in learning how to read.
Pamela Edwards, from Virginia, is the author of many children’s picture books, many of them illustrated with Henry Cole’s delightful pictures.

Recommended for ages 3 to 6 years of age.

Find this item in the Library Catalogue

Jamie and Megan embark on three imaginary journeys through space and time with their parents. In the first, they travel the world from inside their home to discover the natural origins of various foods and objects. In their second trip, they travel through the air to learn how our atmosphere is really composed and of its importance to people and animals everywhere. The children’s third trip is taken through time to discover when and how many of today’s rocks originated. At the end of the book, the family sends a message, in the form of a time capsule, to the future.
Environmental author David Suzuki’s story is a gentle reminder that nature is full of discoveries and wonders, and that it needs to be cherished and protected. Illustrator Eugenie Fernandes’ charming paintings make nature come alive in this book, and offer children lots of detail to discover on every page … a perfect book to enjoy together as Earth Day (on April 22) approaches.
** Recommended for ages 3 to 6 years.

Featuring Cow on the drums, Chicken on the keyboard, Pig and Goat on guitars and Sheep belting out the vocals, the Punk Farm Animal Band is on tour again! With enthusiastic, sell-out crowds showing up at every gig, and more gigs booked in cities across the country, a hugely successful tour is on the horizon. Even complications such as the Punk Farm van’s breakdown en route to Colorado can’t stop this intrepid band – their mechanical skills prove equal to the task and soon the van’s on the road again to yet another Punk Farm concert!
Best of all, the Punk Farm animals are able to finish their tour and return home just minutes before Farmer Joe returns from his National Tractor Society Conference in Nevada, believing that his animals had been resting safely at home on the farm the whole time!
The hilarious antics of these animals will delight young readers and listeners and perhaps their parents too. This is Jarrett Krosoczka’s second book featuring the Punk Farm gang; his first, Punk Farm, can also be found at the library.
** Recommended for ages 4 to 7 years.
Find this book in the library catalogue