The Pirate Meets the Queen - Hardcover

Faulkner, Matt

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399240381 ISBN 13: 9780399240386

Publisher: Philomel, 2005

Synopsis

As captain of her own crew of pirates raiding ships on the high seas, Granny O'Malley has become a legend in her time until the Queen of England gets word of her deeds and imprisons Granny's son--forcing the fierce pirate to accept a face-to-face meeting where the most unexpected events occur.

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Reviews

Grade 2-4–Faulkner relates the story of the legendary Irish pirate Granuaile ("Granny") O'Malley. He describes her early years, when her father's fishing boat and occasional plundering of English merchant vessels held more appeal than her mother's kitchen; her first marriage; and her eventual command of her father's ship. He relates how her exploits angered Queen Elizabeth, who had her declared an outlaw, and the birth of her son, Toby, and his eventual capture while attacking an English ship. The climax of the story comes when Granny travels to London to bargain for Toby's life, and the pirate and the monarch recognize in one another "a woman of consequence." The gouache cartoon illustrations feature people with exaggerated facial expressions and body postures, lending an air of melodrama to his version of history. Emily Arnold McCully's The Pirate Queen (Putnam, 1995) is more complex in terms of the writing style, the breadth of historical background provided, and the characterization of O'Malley. Faulkner's version is a serviceable introduction to the legend of this fascinating woman, but it's an additional purchase for those already owning McCully's book.– Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
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K-Gr. 3. Whether you call her Granuaile or Grania or Grace, or Granny O'Malley as Faulkner does, the sixteenth-century Irish pirate led a life full of stories. She narrates this one herself, beginning with her childhood on her father's pirate ship, to her first marriage and her return to pirating. Her son Toby grew up to be captured by Elizabeth I, who Granny calls Red Liz. In a fabulous scene of manners and mores, Granny -stages a rescue. She promises to raid Red Liz's ships na' more, but she can't quite keep her word. Faulkner uses a rich palette in strong gouaches to create evocative seascapes and cityscapes, and he accents the telling with characters whose features and gestures are slightly exaggerated. This is a nifty pirate story, as well as a sparkling tale of two strong women. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Philomel
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399240381
• ISBN 13: 9780399240386
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Faulkner Matt
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32