Captain Barbosa and the Pirate Hat Chase

Description

In this wordless graphic novel, Captain Barbosa sails the seven seas with his trusty shipmates: a fly, an alligator, and an elephant. A seagull steals his treasured hat, and Barbosa and his crew give chase through a nasty storm. When Barbosa reaches the seagull's island, he finds the hat--along with a nest of baby seagulls--and decides even pirates can forgive and forget.

Jorge Gonzalez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has been living in Spain for the last two decades. He tells all sorts of stories in all sorts of ways, with pastels, colored pencils, ink, and digital tools. He has published a number of graphic novels in Europe for grown-up readers, such as the books Fueye and Dear Patagonia. He has also contributed to The New Yorker and many other publications. Jorge Gonzalez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has been living in Spain for the last two decades. He tells all sorts of stories in all sorts of ways, with pastels, colored pencils, ink, and digital tools. He has published a number of graphic novels in Europe for grown-up readers, such as the books Fueye and Dear Patagonia. He has also contributed to The New Yorker and many other publications.

Captain Barbosa is a pirate sailing the seas with his ragtag group of animal friends. One day a seagull flies onto their ship and steals the captain's favorite hat. The captain and his crew face sea monsters and treacherous weather in search of the hat, and when they finally find it, a surprise awaits. This wordless graphic novel is fun and easy to follow. The artwork is soft and bright, and the palette is pleasant and works well with the seafaring theme. The characters are expressive and appealing, which adds humor to the narrative. VERDICT Fans of graphic novels and funny adventure stories will enjoy making up the words to this wordless tale.--School Library Journal -- "Journal" (3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM) In this charming, wordless graphic novel, readers will see that unexpected events can turn an ordinary day into a spectacular one. Captain Barbosa sails the rough seas with his ragtag crew of a mosquito, elephant, and crocodile. When a seagull sets her sights on the captain's hat, she decides she needs it more than him and flies away with it. The captain and his crew follow her, run into a sea monster, and eventually find out exactly why she needed his trusty pirate hat in the first place. The beautifully drawn illustrations contain ample depth and feeling within the traditionally paneled story, and, with the absence of words, the illustrations have even more room to shine. The muted colors bring the sea monsters and animal crews vibrantly to life, while the softly colored pencil drawings charmingly reveal the way this solitary pirate crew makes a few new friends during their sea journey. A great wordless graphic novel for those new to the format or those who like to fill in the words themselves.--Booklist -- "Website" (3/29/2019 12:00:00 AM) When a sea gull snatches his hat, a pirate sets out to get it back. A stern chase is a long chase, as this wordless import (from Spain) demonstrates. Enraged by the theft of his skull-and-crossbones hat, the captain charges off in a ship crewed by an elephant, a crocodile, and a mosquito. Various adventures later, from a storm to an encounter with a huge, green, one-eyed sea monster, the pursuers catch up at last--only to find the hat repurposed into a nursery. Fans of Jon Klassen's hat dramas may be disappointed by what happens next: The captain shrugs, hugs the provident parent, and departs with a friendly wave. The white captain's massive orange beard shines out from Gonzalez's loosely drawn and brushed nautical scenes; with that to focus on, even younger viewers should have no trouble sailing through the sequential panels. That the sea monster is entirely benign and even helpful also adds to the story's friendliness to the younger edge of the audience range. Humor abounds, from the absurd casting choices for Barbosa's crew to the moment when the chortling mariners add an orange pigtailed wig to the captain's exposed, bald pate. A droll, rather sweet addition to the flood of 'I want my hat back' tales.--Kirkus Reviews -- "Journal" (12/11/2018 12:00:00 AM)