Pirate Princess: A Raucous Picture Book About Girl Power and the High Seas for Kids

by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)

Princess Bea isn’t like other princesses—she prefers pirate ships above tea parties, the salty sea over silly dolls. But what’s a landlocked princess to do?

Ahoy, Captain Jack to the rescue! When the captain offers Bea a place aboard his ship, it’s a dream come true—until she’s put to work swabbing the decks and making dinner for the crew. Can a princess like Bea put her royal gifts to work and make the pirates see that she’s seaworthy after all—or will they make her walk the plank?

Pirate Princess is a raucous tale of girl power on the high seas, from author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrator Jill McElmurry.

Genres: Picture Books, Pirates, Childrens, Storytime, Princesses, Adventure, Humor

34 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2012

About the author

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an award-winning children's book author whose books include Duck Duck Moose, Chicks Run Wild, Pirate Princess, Hampire!, and the forthcoming Orangutangled. She visits schools around the country to talk about the craft of writing to children of all ages. "Every book is an autobiography" is a favorite saying of hers, and a big part of her message is that everyone, grownup or child, has a story that is interesting and compelling—if you can find the right words to tell it. Sudipta lives outside Philadelphia with her children and an imaginary pony named Penny. You can learn more about her and her books on her website www.sudipta.com or at her blog www.NerdyChicksRule.com.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bored with her royal life, the unconventional Princess Bea signs on as a pirate on Captain Jack's ship, only to discover that her skills, from swabbing the deck to cooking the food, are somewhat lacking. Just as she is being made to walk the plank however, she smells gold, leading her pirate crew to buried treasure...

I wish that I had enjoyed Pirate Princess more than I did, as I frequently get requests at work for princess stories that challenge the conventional "girly" theme. Unfortunately, although I did think that illustrator Jill McElmurry's illustrations were cute, both the story and the text itself fell short. Author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen's rhyming verse is frequently quite awkward, and her story-line, in which Bea makes a place for herself, not through hard work but through her gold-sensitive nose, somehow felt like an unpleasant rehash of Andersen's The Princess and the Pea. I would have preferred something a little more "girls can do" than this, if the point was to offer a princess/pirate mash-up. In any case, tastes vary, so if you're in the market for a girl pirate story, this might fill the bill, although I'd advise the prospective reader to read it through first, to see if it fills their needs.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I opened up this princess tale

And sighed a thousand times.

It's sad but true: I do not need

ANOTHER book that rhymes.

[Megan M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute rhyming, but I was just really unimpressed with the story of Princess Bea, who longs to be a pirate but isn't quite skilled enough. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to her family back home?

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ages: 4 - 8

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[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this might be a cute, pirate children’s book geared towards little girls and well, I was half right. It was a pirate book but I didn’t think it was cute by the time I was finished. This book was exhausting as I felt it went on and on and on with its rhyming. I think the novel would have worked better for me had parts of the book been written in rhyme and other parts written in regular text. The rhyming felt forced after a while and I just didn’t care if Princess Bea got to be a pirate or not.

Princess Bea is not your typical princess. She doesn’t dress fancy nor is she waiting for a prince to whisk her. Princess Bea wants the adventurous life of a pirate. She realizes she needs a pirate’s crew to be a pirate and one day, she spots a pirate ship while walking and she jumps onboard. She’ll do anything to stay on ship, so the captain gives her some jobs which, she is not successful at. Princess Bea doesn’t complain about the tasks nor at how she can’t be productive because she’s happy to be on the ship. The captain has finally had enough and he makes Princess Bea walk the plank for all the trouble that she is creating. But wait, Princess Bea notices something and this just might be what saves her.

There were a few things that I didn’t like about this children’s book besides all the rhyming. I was surprised at all the difficult words that were inside it, words like brocade, curtsied, Avast, swarthy, wench, and keen. Some children might know/understand these words and some might not. This is something to consider. I also wasn’t too thrilled when Princess Bea’s “heave-hoed into the ocean.” Between those words and the illustrations that followed, it was a bit too much for me. I did like Princess Bea’s determination about being a pirate, for she makes a good role model. I liked the illustrations of the crew (both males and females). It was funny watching the cats in the illustrations too, for them seemed to be getting in on the book’s action.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why are we still romanticizing piracy? Pirates are criminals- violent robbers, sometimes killers. I just don't get the appeal. A princess wants to be a PIRATE? And she has no skills at typical 'women's" work like cleaning and cooking.....which is all the pirates think she is good for. I always like a picture book written in rhyming verse, they are fun for read-alouds, but that is all this book has going for it.

[L.E. Fidler · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, tough crowd, goodreads readers!

my kids LOVE this book.

"mommy, can we read the pirate princess?!?!?" they clamor at bedtime.
even dada likes the charming tale of princess bea who sucks at the traditional female spheres of cooking and cleaning (and not throwing up on a ship) but who excels at one key aspect of piracy:

treasure hunting.

it's quick, cute, and nicely illustrated.

a better message than pinkalicious's bratty "i got very upset", too.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Bea dreams about being a pirate, but when she finally gets to the sea she learns that being a pirate is a lot of work.

Why I started it: Ran across it in the library.

Why I finished it: I liked the fact that piracy wasn't all fun and games, there were chores and consequences. Fun rhymes.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rhymes were a little much (using words like avast, swarthy, and displeasure). Normally, I like to pause and define a word here and there for the kids, but there's too many in this book and the rhythm is such that it would really detract from the story. I love the idea of a princess giving up the cushy princess life to pursue her dreams, but this might be a bit too convoluted for my preschool story time. I'll use it if I can't find anything better...but there's sure to be better stuff out there.

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Princess Bea isn't like other princesses - she prefers pirate ships above tea parties, the salty sea over silly dolls. But what's a landlocked princess to do? Ahoy, Captain Jack to the rescue! When the captain offers Bea a place aboard his ship, it's a dream come true - until she's put to work swabbing the decks and making dinner for the crew. Can a princess like Bea put her royal gifts to work and make the pirates see that she's seaworthy after all - or will they make her walk the plank? -- inside left jacket flap

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will this tall tale entertain picture book readers?
Will it entertain adult feminists (like this Goodreads reviewer)?
Can a princess simply sign up to work on a pirate ship?

OH, SO MANY QUESTIONS

And here's one more, a pivot point for the plot:

Will a bit of seasickness irrevocably disgrace this new recruit?

THE ENDING'S JUST DELIGHTFUL

FIVE STARS for author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrator Jill McElmurry.

[Dave Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Bea does not want to live the typical royal life and find a prince and the rest of it so she decides to be a pirate. Joining a pirate crew on the high seas, she learns whether or not the pirate life is for her. A fun adventure on the high seas involving puking from the crow's nest, writer Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen reinvents the princess story for young children. The illustrations by Jill McElmurray are perfect for the project as well.

[Marj · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fun, rhyming book, but our princess doesn't have to work to develop any pirating skills. She relies on an inherent talent and that dropped it a bit. That said, the illustrations are clever and I love the pirate captain's bright hair/beard.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A princess who would rather be a pirate.
Okay, but could have been better.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't help but feel incredibly concerned for the princess, being around a bunch of pirates.

[Christine Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirate SRP

The older children enjoyed this book far more than expected thus rating the 4 stars. Rhyme.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, with some gross humor, book about a princess who dreams of being a pirate.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was unique enough, but I feel like it dragged on a bit (but that’s likely because I wasn’t too interested in the subject matter and I didn’t enjoy the rhyming style of the text).

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book, especially if you know a little girl whose name is Bea.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just not super interesting for me.

[Olivia Delisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the language and in the inclusivity of girl pirates!

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so interesting ,I think she was a pirate ,not a princesses .Bea really like pirates,she can be a captain.Bea’s dream had come true. I love this book.

[Allie Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Princess Bea isn't like other princesses, she wasn't proper or refined, and instead of wanting to marry a prince, Bea wanted to be a pirate. Bea finds herself a pirate ship one day and goes aboard, much to the surprise of the crew. The captain, Jack, puts Bea to work doing several jobs around the ship such as cleaning the deck and cooking stew for the crew. However, Bea wasn't successful at any of these jobs, so the pirates decided it was time to send Bea overboard and make her walk the plank. Bea saves herself at the last minute by smelling gold off the coast, and proves herself useful to the crew by finding them treasure across the seven seas.

Themes: A theme of this book is breaking stereotypes and that just because you're a princess doesn't mean you have to do typical princess activities. This theme is able to be translated to everyday life, as it shows both girls and boys that you can be whoever you want to be.

Personal Response: I found this book very funny and cute as it showed Bea learning the pirate's way of life. I think this is a book many children would enjoy because it shows a fun lifestyle that many children think they are interested in. As a young child, I would have related to Bea because I wasn't a fan of doing typical "girly" activities till I was older. So I would have appreciated seeing a character in a book doing whatever it is she wants, no matter how it may be perceived by others.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to young readers because it shows a non-traditional look at a princess. I think both boys and girls would enjoy the pirate aspect of this story and would find the story easy to read and entertaining.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bea is not your usual princess when we first meet her she is standing on her head and she would rather read a book than wear fancy clothes and she has no interest in meeting a handsome prince. Bea does have a dream - she wants to be a pirate. One afternoon she comes across a pirate ship and convinces the crew that they should add her to their crew. She throws herself into being a pirate, but it is a struggle. Her first task, swabbing the deck, makes her shoulders sore and the mop is "really gross." She is next assigned to the galley, where she whips up an inedible stew. She gets seasick. Just when it seems like she is going to have to walk the plank, the pirates discover she has a gift for sniffing out treasure, and she is welcomed into the pirate band. This story is filled with fun, great illustrations and a reminder that we all have gifts and talents.

[Brittany Kraft]

Princess Bea is not your typical princess. She doesn’t wear the fancy dresses, instead she prefers a sword. Bea dreams of being a pirate, and one day when walking down the dock, she spots a pirate ship! Once on board Bea pleas for the captain to let her be a part of his crew. She soon finds out she is not the best at mopping the deck, cooking food, or being on watch out. The captain had had enough and was ready to have Bea walk the plank. Will Bea be able to get herself out of this mess or will she abandon ship?

Activity: Assign the student different characters and have them act out the book, at certain spots stop ask them questions, such as “What would you do if you were Bea?” “How would you impress a pirate captain?”

Bardhan-Quallen, S. (2012). Pirate princess. Harper Collins Publishers.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous read aloud! The rhyme and rhythm is pulsing. Vocabulary great to learn and encourage. While I enjoed this much more than my young preschooler daughter I am sure in a year or two this would provide many a laugh. I love it. Highly recommended for library read alouds as well as a classroom read.

*Thanks to HC*

scheduled: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...

[Lisa C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite sure how I feel about this, since the poor wee girly was inept at all the lowliest pirate jobs. But then again, those were mostly traditional women's work. Her main skill was both very useful and required them to use her for financial gain...okay, the feminist in me is over thinking it, but it's not the kind of "girl power" story I'd pick for a storytime. Nice use of pirate talk, though.

[Jeanette Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a darling book for all the pirate princess out there. Bea doesn't enjoy the life of being a princess and always fancies herself as a pirate. One day she gets her chance to become one for real. Every job they give her she screws up and as she is about to walk the plank she smells something that gives her a second chance......

[Elizabeth S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this was supposed to be a girls-can-do-anything book. Instead we are given a heroine who can't do this and won't do that and fails at the next thing. Her only talent or ability is evidently the ability to smell gold. Really? That's IT? Seems more supportive of the girls-are-sissy-weak thesis to me.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Princess Bea wants desperately to be a pirate, but she's terrible at swabbing the deck, cooking the food, and sitting in the crows nest. She's about to walk the plank when she smells gold. While she may not be a perfect pirate the crew tolerates her because of her special skill.

Fun illustrations, great rhymes and cute resolution.