Pirate Jack Gets Dressed
Beach Lane Books | Written by Nancy Raines Day | Hardcover | Fall 2018
It’s the crack o’ dawn, and dapper Pirate Jack is ready t’ get dressed for a day out on the high seas. He’ll need every color of the rainbow to make his outfit complete—from his itchy gray long johns to his toasty pink socks. But just as he’s about to step outside, he realizes he’s still missing a color! Can you help him complete his colorful look?
Pirate Jack is a book about color, but it’s also a book about a pirate getting ready for the day. Jack is bigger than life and in his cabin he’s crammed countless clothing articles, trinkets, and even several pets! I chose a large, wide format to build his colorful world. Each spread showcases a part of his messy room with lots of little pirate details for the reader to enjoy!
The background color for each spread was determined by the article of clothing Jack was putting on in the scene. This gave each color a moment to shine and made it easy for children learning their colors to connect the word with the visuals. Although not included in the playful and pirate-ty text, I added a variety of critters to bring the story to life - including a peeking pirate mouse hidden in each page!
“…illustrations use bright, saturated colors and an oversized landscape format with double-page spreads that provide lots of room for amusing details in Jack’s well-furnished stateroom aboard ship. Yer pirate-lovin’ tender-aged readers will give Pirate Jack a thumbs-up….” (Kirkus September 2018)