Poppy the Pirate Dog's New Shipmate: Candlewick Sparks

by Liz Kessler, Mike Phillips (Illustrator)

Overview

“This engaging book works equally well as a choice for independent readers or for reading aloud to younger children.” —Booklist

Poppy the pirate dog is lonely. Now that summer is over, Suzy and Tim have gone back to school, Mom and Dad are back at work, and there is no one around to help her bury treasure. When her family decides to get Poppy a friend to keep her company, she is thrilled. But her tiny new shipmate is not at all what she expected—or wanted! In her second full-color early reader, best-selling author Liz Kessler steers a course through the sometimes tumultuous waters of sibling rivalry through the eyes of a very funny and slightly neurotic pup.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763680312
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Series:	Candlewick Sparks Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

 

Editorial Reviews

The easy reader/beginning chapter book format, with its heavy, black typeface against plenty of clean white space and the simple sentences and vocabulary, is as inviting as the book’s endearing canine hero, and kids not quite ready for lengthier chapter books will find this title (the second in a series) a fine transitional bridge. Phillips’ frequent ink and watercolor illustrations are lively and entertaining, and ... Poppy and orange tiger-striped George are overall a pretty winsome pair.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

With a simply written story and jaunty, expressive ink-and-watercolor illustrations, this engaging book works equally well as a choice for independent readers or for reading aloud to younger children. A fine addition to the Poppy the Pirate Dog series.
—Booklist Online

From the Publisher

2014-03-12
Following her debut in Poppy the Pirate Dog (2013), the seagoing Dalmatian is back for another outing. This time, the normally perky pup is depressed, as the children in her family, Tim and Suzy, have returned to school after summer vacation. The family decides to acquire a "little brother" to keep Poppy company—but the new addition turns out to be not another dog as Poppy hoped, but an orange-striped kitten named George. The family focuses all their attention on the adorable new kitten, leaving Poppy even more desolate, and predictable conflict between cat and dog ensues. Also predictably, when George falls in the garden pond, Poppy rescues him, and they suddenly become best buddies. There is no pirate action or lingo beyond a couple of skull-and-crossbones bandannas, no seagoing adventure, and in fact, no real adventure of any kind. The rather wordy text is divided into five short chapters for beginning readers, but only previous Poppy fans or Dalmatian devotees are likely to be interested in the story. Loose watercolor-and-ink illustrations on every page give Poppy and George some personality, but the mundane text drags the overall effort down. Poppy and her crew best be a-sparkin' up the plots and purveying the piratical prattle soon, or this series is likely to be tossed overboard. (Early reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews