a. Bibliographic data
Lyon, George Ella. 2011. THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN. Ill. by Lynne Avril. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1416950249
b. Brief plot summary
Ginny is super excited about kindergarten but doesn’t like the fact that she sees two of everything! She has a hard time reading and even runs into things because of her double vision. After being screened for a vision test, Ginny learns that she must wear an eye patch to help correct her double vision. With her new patch, she becomes the pirate of kindergarten and is once again excited to be at school.
c. Critical analysis
The Pirate of Kindergarten is a great picture book to share with students of all ages and opens the door for discussion about learning, physical and mental disabilities. Young students can benefit greatly from developing an understanding and respect for people and their differences.
Ginny is a typical kindergartner, who embodies the self centered world of a five year old in thinking everyone saw the way she did. Anyone who has met a kindergartner knows that they rarely see the world outside of what they know personally. It also shows the innocence of a child in not understanding what is wrong or not knowing how to solve a problem. The school setting provides a great opportunity for the author to explore the activities Ginny could find difficult and social interactions that may arise from it.
While some of the kids make fun of Ginny, it is not the focus of the story. More attention is paid to the difficulties Ginny has in completing tasks like reading, coming to circle and cutting with scissors. The reading audience in able to feel how frustrating and embarrassing things can be when you see two of everything. The teacher also gives the adult reader something to think about because of the way in which she responds to Ginny. “We read with our eyes, not our noses” and “don’t squint” show that the teacher has no understanding of Ginny’s problem but had she paid more attention, she may have seen the signs and been able to help her.
The illustrations in The Pirate of Kindergarten provide the reader with a visual understanding of how Ginny saw the world. While her vision problem goes undiagnosed, the images are blurred or doubled, just as Ginny sees them. Once she gets her eye patch, the illustrations become clearer and more focused. The illustrations also convey Ginny’s emotions and confidence as she overcomes her vision disability.
d. Reviews/Awards
• From Booklist: “Created with pastels, acrylics, and colored pencils, Avril’s bold and wonderfully vivid mixed-media illustrations sometimes portray the classroom through Ginny’s eyes, with overlapping images of chairs, books, and people, though they usually present an outside perspective. Based on Lyon’s own experience, the sensitively written story radiates empathy and good humor. Even children who have not experienced Ginny’s problem will understand her occasional frustration and find it intriguing that one person can literally see the world differently from another.”
• From SLJ: “Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of "two of everything" provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world.”
e. Connections
• Teachers can use this story to create a tolerant environment in the classroom, especially with younger students (K-1)
• Here are some other picture books for children that address special needs/ learning issues
o Julia Chen Headley's The Patch is another story about a pirate who has trouble with his vision.
o The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon by local Austin author, Don Winn is about a dyslexic pigeon who has trouble in flight school
o Lily and the Mixed Up Letters by Deborah Hodge is a story about dyslexia
o Some Kids Just Can’t Sit Still! by Sam Goldstein teaches students about ADHD
• Try reading the non-fiction series for children, Pebble Books: Understanding Differences
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