Picture Book Monday: The Word Pirates
Feb. 26th, 2024 08:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerThis Dark Is Rising reread inspired me to check out Susan Cooper’s other novels, which is how I discovered (a) there is a second Susan Cooper, and only some libraries distinguish the two in their catalogs, and (b) the right Susan Cooper has a thriving side gig in picture books.
I started out with The Word Pirates, illustrated by Steven Kellogg (who I knew previously through his folktale retellings of Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed; he’s got a very distinctive style). The Word Pirates sail the world, sending their Bumblebirds to steal words fresh off the page so the pirates can eat them! (The crew likes short, crunchy words, with milk.) But one day they learn of “a Word Wizard, a zany New Zealander,” and go off to steal words from her stories, only to discover that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.
The Word Wizard wears a rainbow wig when she reads her stories to delighted children. “Is it,” I asked, “Can it be…”
The dedication made it clear that indeed it is! “Dear Margaret Mahy, We made this book for you because you were certainly A WRITER WIZARD. And because we miss you. Love from Susan and Steven.”
Isn’t that lovely? The book was published a few years after Mahy died, and it’s nice to see such a charming story to honor her legacy.
I started out with The Word Pirates, illustrated by Steven Kellogg (who I knew previously through his folktale retellings of Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed; he’s got a very distinctive style). The Word Pirates sail the world, sending their Bumblebirds to steal words fresh off the page so the pirates can eat them! (The crew likes short, crunchy words, with milk.) But one day they learn of “a Word Wizard, a zany New Zealander,” and go off to steal words from her stories, only to discover that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.
The Word Wizard wears a rainbow wig when she reads her stories to delighted children. “Is it,” I asked, “Can it be…”
The dedication made it clear that indeed it is! “Dear Margaret Mahy, We made this book for you because you were certainly A WRITER WIZARD. And because we miss you. Love from Susan and Steven.”
Isn’t that lovely? The book was published a few years after Mahy died, and it’s nice to see such a charming story to honor her legacy.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-26 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-26 09:02 pm (UTC)(I went to a reading/signing of hers when I was at university and have a very treasured copy of The Tricksters with a picture she drew of a cat)
no subject
Date: 2024-02-27 12:12 am (UTC)That's really lovely.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-27 04:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-27 07:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-27 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-28 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-28 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-28 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-28 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-28 11:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-28 11:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-22 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-22 03:07 pm (UTC)