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Parents' Guide to

The Pirate Cruncher

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Too full of clever laughs to scare most young mateys.

Book Jonny Duddle Adventure 2010
The Pirate Cruncher Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 4+

Based on 2 parent reviews

DCTwinMom
DCTwinMom Parent of 4 and 4-year-old
December 10, 2013
age 4+

One of my favorite read-aloud books

"The Pirate Cruncher" and "The Gruffalo" are the best read-aloud books ever. I have twin 5 yo boys, and they adore listening to me read this book. We've owned it for about a year. For "Pirate Cruncher", you get to alternate between singing a pirate chanty and growling the pirate captain's commands. The illustrations are richly detailed and teach foreshadowing. My kids love looking at the illustrations and pointing out details of the pirates' costumes and evidence of the Pirate Cruncher.
stown
stown Parent of 2 and 6-year-old
December 22, 2012
age 4+

A great book for kids AND parents

We started reading this book to my son when he was four and he still likes it at age six, but probably not as much as I do! The pirates do get eaten in the end, so it's pretty dark, but so playfully written and beautifully illustrated, most kids will be fine.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

There be treasure abroad -- but is it worth the cost? A mysterious fiddler shares a treasure map with Captain Purplebeard and his greedy crew. After they set sail, he warns them of a pirate-eating monster, but the captain is undeterred. They press on, even as they grow increasingly unnerved by the fiddler’s terrifying song. The pirates, of course, run into the dreaded pirate cruncher -- the real surprise is how, exactly, they got there.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Both menace and humor are surprisingly well combined in this book's lively illustrations. “I think treasure brings nothing but trouble!” squawks a macaw early in this cautionary tale. He’s right, of course, but like most adventures the real fun is in the journey. The eccentric crew’s thoughts are shown in cartoon bubbles, shifting from treasure to monsters, but they set aside their doubts. The abundant visual jokes -- a sleeping pirate cuddling a teddy bear with an eye patch, a tentacle salting an oblivious pirate’s breakfast egg -- infuse the deliciously dark story with sly humor.

This may not be good bedtime reading for sensitive kids -- aside from the monster issue, the dark tones of the early pages and the decorated font can make it a bit difficult to read in subdued lighting. Observant readers may pick up on the clever twist at the end early on, and those who miss the hints the first time will pore over the book to find all the clues. The fiddler's rhyming chantey has an easy, fun rhythm without going overboard on pirate talk.

The pirate cruncher’s long tentacles quietly curl through each page, pulling its prey ever closer. The gotcha ending is wonderfully played.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the pirates’ greed and the expression “blinded by greed.” How does greed affect this crew of pirates?

  • The pirates don’t gather much information before deciding to go off on this adventure. What questions would you have asked before deciding whether to go?

Book Details

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