MY DAD THINKS HE'S A PIRATE
“My dad thinks he’s funny,” the young narrator tells us. Dad, who’s hanging up clothing to dry, proceeds to tell a joke (“Knock, knock.” “Who’s there?” “Turner?”). The next page’s punchline: “Turner round, there’s a pirate behind you!” From here on, every time the protagonist makes a comment, the father responds with a seaside-related pun, after which the child repeats, “My dad thinks he’s a pirate.” Upbeat cartoon art depicts the father, the narrating child, and other cheery-looking family members enjoying activities such as fishing and searching for treasure at the seashore. Some of the wordplay works visually and aurally (the dad claims that the flag is angry because “It has cross bones”), while some relies on understanding spelling (the father wears a patch over “one aye”). Despite this, pre-readers will enjoy the novelty as much as emergent readers, especially with the opportunity to chime in with the refrain of “My dad thinks he’s a pirate.” Nor will anyone misunderstand the flatulence jokes. When buried treasure appears, the text momentarily turns sentimental before quickly reviving its overall tone of lighthearted silliness. Dad, the protagonist, and the rest of the family are ruddy-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
