The sinking of Captain Otter

Format:

Book

Title:

The sinking of Captain Otter

Author:

Wilson, Troy, 1970- author.

ISBN:

9781771473118

Publication:

Toronto, ON ; Berkeley, CA : Owlkids Books, [2018]

Physical Description:

1 volume (unpaged) : colour illustrations ; 20 x 27 cm

Summary:

"Kelpy the otter builds himself a boat. A boat that he loves, even though it is most definitely a homemade boat. Despite ridicule by other otters, pirates and sharks, Kelpy sails on. Then he comes across Blistering Blustering Butterbeard: a butterfly pirate in his own tiny boat. At first Kelpy is incredulous - he laughs. But Butterbeard's hurt feelings and tears turn Kelpy's disdain to empathy. In a surprising turn, Kelpy scuttles his beloved boat for the butterfly's benefit, indulging Butterbeard and starting an uproarious game that they play again and again and again. Story of an unlikely friendship between an underdog and someone even smaller and more vulnerable than him. Underlying message about following your dream and not letting ridicule, nay-saying or bullying discourage you or stand in the way of pursuing your passions and enjoying life Text is great to read aloud, featuring pleasing repetition, lots of humour, and some fun nautical and pirate terms"--Provided by publisher

Subject(s):

Ship captains -- Juvenile fiction.

Otters -- Juvenile fiction.

Butterflies -- Juvenile fiction.

Friendship -- Juvenile fiction.

Ship captains -- Fiction.

Otters -- Fiction.

Butterflies -- Fiction.

Friendship -- Fiction.

Genre:

Added Author:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	JP Wilson	Searching... Unknown

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On Order

Summary

Kelpy is an otter--and also a passionate sea captain. He builds himself a ship that he adores, from keel to cabin to crow's nest. All the other otters and pirates and sharks just laugh at Kelpy's ramshackle craft, but Kelpy sails on. Until one day on the high seas, he encounters a sailor even more laughable than himself--a petite butterfly pirate in a teeny-tiny boat.

Kelpy's laughter shifts to empathy when he realizes how much he has hurt the tiny pirate's feelings. So Kelpy decides to scuttle his beloved boat in a playful ploy to repair the emotional damage he's done. Along the way, an unlikely friendship (and rivalry) begins.

Packed with rhyme, repetition, and lots of humor, this is a read-aloud with a heartwarming message about following your dreams even in the face of ridicule and doubt, and how even an underdog can lift someone up.

Reviews (2)

Horn Book Review

Kelpy the otter builds a ship and sets sail, only to be laughed at by other otters, sharks, pirates, and even waves. When he stumbles upon an even tinier seafaring creature, Kelpy is the one laughing...until he realizes that sea life is more fun with a friend. The text's repetitive refrains are fit for a sea chantey; naive cut-paper illustrations complement the childlike storytelling. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

An otter and a butterflyboth passionate sea captainsbecome fast friends as they battle it out on the high seas.Kelpy, an otter in the flesh but a sea captain in his heart, builds himself a boat and sets sail despite the pervasive mockery. Other otters laugh, human pirates laugh, sharks laugh, and even the waves laugh, but Kelpy sails onward, pursuing his dream (though shedding a few tears). Then, on the horizon he spies another pirate. But this time it is a diminutive butterfly (with a hilarious loop-over-the-nonexistent-ears beard) in a tiny boat who exclaims: "I be Blistering Blastering Butterbeard. Prepare to be sunk!" Kelpy laughs at the butterfly's ineffectual barrage, and Butterbeard begins to cry. Contrite and recognizing that Butterbeard is a kindred spirit following his own dream, Kelpy realizes the only thing to be done is to destroy his own boat to make it look as though Butterbeard sank him. Butterbeard exults, Kelpy rebuilds. The two fierce denizens of the high seas commence to battle each other over and over, having a grand time and becoming fast friends in the process. Author Wilson's tightly constructed narrative has a strong repetition-of-three base that supplies both a solid foundation and humor, and it plays well against illustrator Chiodi's exuberant and colorful mixed-media illustrations with their loose, plenty-of-space feel.Funand with a supportive message for readers who march to different drums. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.