Review: Captain No Beard Series part 2

I was sent two more Captain No Beard books to read and review. The series is about Captain No Beard, his shipmates and the crazy adventures they get into. While the books are fun and definitely a child-pleasing series, each book also teaches an important message. Each story line keeps young readers engaged while also teaching them life lessons. I give the series an A+! You can read my review for two of the other books here. Below is my review for two of the other books in the series:

Title: Stuck in the Doldrums: A Lesson in Sharing
Grade: A+
Captain No Beard and his crew are stuck on  the island because there is no wind. The crew finds different things to do, but the Captain takes over everything. Linus the lion, Polly the Parrot, and Mongo the Monkey decide to look at the clouds, Each fight over the telescope, but Captain No Beard decides he gets to use the telescope because he is the captain. The same thing happens when First mate Hallie and Fribbet the Frog decide to build a sandcastle. Because his friends decide they don't want to play with him any longer, Captain No Beard boards his ship. While on the ship he runs into a problem that he needs his crewmates to help him solve.

I love the message that this book has. Being bossy does not solve problems. Everyone has a part in solving a problem and each part is just as important as another. In my preschool classroom I run into bossyness at least 10 times a day. I think that this would be a super beneficial book to read. It teaches the messages in a fun, but straightforward way that children would understand. I think it is also a great conversation starter. Once again, I love the rich vocabulary the book introduces and the gorgeous illustrations! I think this is my favorite book of the series!

Title:Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience
Grade: A-
A new parrot joins Captain No Beard and his crew in this addition to the series. As Pepper is introduced, Captain No Beard decides its time to run some drills. Captain No Beard has everyone run from one side of the boat to the other. Pepper flies to the opposite side as everyone else and then gets frustrated. Through help from the crewmates, Pepper realizes that he must have patience. The crew decided to change Pepper's name to Polly, and they invite Polly to be a part of the gang.

I don't really think that the title accurately describes this book. To me the book teaches the message to not get frustrated when you do something wrong. When Pepper gets the sides of the ship wrong, she throws herself on the ground and pretty much throws a fit. First Mate Hallie teaches Pepper to not get upset, and tells her to calm down. She also teaches Pepper a neat way to teach right from left. I think that the message of not getting frustrated is a very important lesson to teach children. I can't even count the amount of times I have seen a child get frustrated when he or she can't do something the first time they do it. Once again, I think that this book leads to great discussion points and I think children would really enjoy it. The only thing I would change about the book is the title.

Happy Reading!

Bookaholic