The Gingerbread Pirates

Swashbuckling gusto and a poignant finish should make this a new favorite.—Publishers Weekly (starred review)Large in scale and dramatic in effect, watercolor-and-gouache paintings create believable settings, sometimes seen from unusual perspectives, and sympathetically portray the characters, especially the pirates, whose icing-sugar mouths and eyes are surprisingly expressive.—BooklistAn exciting story and full-page, dramatically composed paintings depicting harrowing adventures with a mouse, a cat, and the crew imprisoned in a cookie jar make this a good holiday read-aloud.—School Library JournalCaptain Cookie’s quest to rescue his crew from their cookie-jar imprisonment is not without peril, and humorous obstacles abound…Tavares’s vivid watercolor and gouache paintings dramatize Kladstrup’s lively text with vigor in this imaginative adventure story.—The Horn BookCookie’s-eye-view illustrations and a story enlivened with dialogue make this boy’s version of the nutcracker sparkle.—ForewordKladstrup makes the most of the adventurous possibilities, while Tavares's sumptuous full-bleed spreads and spot illustrations play with a cookie's-eye perspective.—Shelf AwarenessAn adventurous, hilarious story that brims with the magic of Christmas…pure delight.—Kendal Rautzhan’s Books to Borrow, Books to BuyAn imaginative kid-pleaser.—News TribuneRed and green dominate Tavares’ bold illustrations, making this one of the most festiveChristmas books.—St. Paul Pioneer Press