If you’re looking for a light hearted, off beat, funny perspective on pirates and pirating, it’s hard to find a book more engaging than Time Bete's Guide to Pirate Parenting! It's a refreshing change of pace from the seriousness of block buster movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, a load of new books on pirate history, and adult and young adult fiction rolling off the presses (including our own Pirate of Panther Bay).
Using a highly readable, tongue-in-cheek style, Tim “reports” on the sage advice given by Cap’n Billy “The Butcher” MacDougall. “There be many good reasons to raise year children as pirates, me hearty,” MacDougal tells the author from a bar stool. 101 of them are listed in this thin tomb.
But, the tips are only a down payment on the humorous value crammed into this book. Readers will find check lists for evaluating your pirate’s development: Is your child asking for bedtime reading like “Goldilocks and the Three Scurvy Dogs”? Is your child being penalized during sports for “flogging the kicker”? Has your child flushed a brother or sister’s gold fish down the toilet during a “burial at sea”—while the fish was alive?
The chapters are short and to the point, and include helpful sections such as “Frequently Asked Questions” on pirate “health and safety”. You’ll learn how to treat cuts, teach your budding pirate how to swim, treat swimmer’s ear, and remove gum from your pirate’s hair. The author has thoughtfully included 19 pirate nursery rhymes. One of our favorite chapters provides a detailed, step-by-step guide for converting a minivan into a pirate schooner.
Guide to Pirate Parenting stands out for another reason: the book is well crafted, an element that will be appreciated by those knowledgeable about pirate history and lore. The humor is grounded in a thorough knowledge of the characters, legends, and reality of pirate live and behavior.
It’s the perfect gift book for those that take pirating too seriously as well as those readers (parents and non-parents) that just have a good sense of humor.
