WHO STOLE MY LEG?

The world’s most frightening pirate meets his match…rubber ducky–style.

“Grislygrin was the scariest pirate of the Seven Seas of all time,” begins this import translated from the Spanish. How scary is he? So scary that every time he walks the deck, his crew (depicted as kids with a variety of skin tones; Grislygrin is tan-skinned) run in fear. Fear, that is, until the day one of his crew sneaks into his room at night and exchanges his wooden leg for a rubber duck. On subsequent nights, the leg is swapped for a spring and then a rambunctious dog. It’s only when his leg is exchanged for a pencil that Grislygrin starts writing stories with every step, and everyone is happier for it. Much of the repetition in the text (“The whole crew was afraid…very veeery afraid!”) makes it clear that this is a book earmarked for read-alouds. The vibrant, exuberant art appears to always be in motion and can easily be seen across the room. The child crew itself straddles the line between terrified and delighted as they run from their leader. However, some readers may be put off by the notion of changing out the limbs of people with disabilities for gags. The energy is high, but the book cannot avoid its central premise. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Swashbuckling abounds, but even lively antics can’t quite keep this ship afloat.