Cap'n Rex & His Clever Crew

by Henry L. Herz, Benjamin Schipper (Illustrator)

Overview

“With his emphasis on invention over brute force, Herz eloquently models positive attitudes for young readers. . . . The dinosaurs may be extinct but let’s hope dinosaur pirates keep on sailing for arr-ternity.” —Kirkus Reviews
Shiver me timbers! It's the DINOSAUR PIRATES!
Meet Captain Rex and his band of buccaneers. These dinosaur pirates sail the seven seas in search of buried treasure, but whenever they hit an obstacle—like a giant shark or pea-soup fog—the crew members are quick to say they can’t overcome. To this, Captain Rex just glares with teeth bared and says, “CAN’T YE?” And, somehow, the crew always comes up with a clever solution.
A delightful story about using one’s creativity and individual strengths to solve problems. It will encourage kids everywhere to think and say, “I can!”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454920885
Publisher:	Sterling Children's Books
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	783,675
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 18 Years

About the Author

Henry Herz has an engineering BS from Cornell, an engineering MS from George Washington University, and an MA from Georgetown University, none of which helps him write children's books. Nevertheless, his love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to write the picture books Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes, When You Give an Imp a Penny, Mabel and the Queen of Dreams and Little Red Cuttlefish. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two coauthor sons, and enjoys eating Boston Creme Pie. For more information, visit henryherz.com.

Benjamin Schipper has created illustrations for Highlights for Kids, Knopf, Penguin Random House, Amplify, Chick-Fil-A, and Children's Theatre of Charlotte. He lives in Greenville, SC with his wife Karen and their little black dog Willow.

Editorial Reviews

Cartoonish illustrations feature thick, solid colors and a mix of textures. The palette shifts according to the dinosaurs’ environment, which provides visual clues to the story’s progression. The crew demonstrates that they have learned the lessons well when they outsmart Rex at the end, making sure that he shares the treasure. The author includes a list of “piratey words” to be sure readers understand everything in the story and to possibly inspire them toward their own fantasy adventures.

Booklist

2017-05-24
Is there room for one more piratical dinosaur tale on the seven seas? There be! It takes daring to traverse the ocean waves. As Capt. Rex and his dinosaur pirates three (a pterosaur, a sauropod, and a ceratopsid) search for buried treasure, they are beset by toothy megalodons, thick fog, and volcanoes. However, each time his crew declares they cannot do something, the captain glares with teeth bared and murmurs, "Can't ye?" That kind of motivation can't be denied, and the dinos go out of their way to think of clever solutions to their seemingly insurmountable obstacles. At last the treasure is uncovered, but when the captain fails to share it takes a carefully placed "CAN'T YE?" from his crew to convince him of what's right. With his emphasis on invention over brute force, Herz eloquently models positive attitudes for young readers. Less chompy than the text, Schipper's art repeatedly softens the storyline. For example, rather than glare with teeth bared as the text suggests, the illustrations portray Rex smiling knowledgeably as his crew puzzles through their problems. The book contains an author's note of defined piratical terms, only a smidgen of which appear in the actual text. The dinosaurs may be extinct but let's hope dinosaur pirates keep on sailing for arr-ternity. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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