Capitalizing on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this heavily illustrated book is a fascinating investigation into pirate history. However, pirate misdeeds may scare the youngest members of the book's intended audience.

The mixed message -- that pirates are romantic and fun but also extremely bad individuals -- starts right at the front where an actual sealed envelope sits on top of a photograph of a treasure map in flames. Inside is a document for the book's owner to sign, agreeing to come along and participate on a pirate adventure. Parents will want to talk with kids to be sure they get the message that pirates aren't guys to emulate.

The sinister cover featuring a bejeweled skull and crossbones on a rusty black background hides a well-researched history book that may be written over the heads (and vocabularies) of many members of its target audience. Even kids who say they're too old for read alouds might want to sit with a parent to make sure they wring every last detail out of the challenging text. Those kids who skip the bulk of the narrative will still learn something since all the illustrations are captioned and lots of information is tucked away into easy-to-manage charts and lists.

Additional items of interest slipped into envelopes or unfolding from the page are scattered throughout the book. Features include a book of pirate slang (no words that would be unwelcome at most dinner tables), an actual pirate recruitment ad from 1779, and a reproduction of William Kidd's pirate license. The busy extras encourage repeated browsing and the sturdy cardstock pages will stand up to heavy handling.

Parents will definitely want to read through the book themselves first, but kids who are old enough to handle the violent details will be enthralled by the lavish illustrations and interesting exploration of pirate life.