BUY ON AMAZON

Author: Carole P. Roman
Illustrator: Bonnie Lemaire
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-1-5227-8178-3

“A good friend will always tell you when you are doing something wrong,” Captain No Beard is reminded in Carole P. Roman children’s story, Being a Captain is Hard Work.

Tenth in the “A Captain No Beard Story” series, this sixty-page square paperback is targeted toward preschool to early elementary school children and readers who like pirate stories. With no profanity, scary scenes, or violence, the book would best be read to beginner readers based on the complicated words and lengthy reading. The fun, colorful illustrations are easy to decipher and cover the complete page with a nicely sized black font wording set usually against white backgrounds.

This continuing tale has Captain No Beard in command of The Flying Dragon where he insists sailing to Dew Rite Volcano during stormy weather with his crew of Hallie, Cayla, Zach, Linus the lion, Mongo the monkey, Fribbet the frog, and Polly the parrot.

While Captain No Beard is determined to go to the volcano, he is stubborn by refusing to listen to his crew tell him about different cloud patterns, cooking during the stormy seas, and putting up the flag during a windy day. He has to learn fast that he does not know everything, and his crew sometimes knows more than he does in this wild adventure.

Educating the reader about several different clouds and their characteristics, the book also conveys that listening to others is helpful when you think you know it all.

Some children may become scared of the crew being on the boat during stormy and icy weather, but the scenes are not frightening.

Award-winning author, Roman has written complete series for children of books based on counties and pirate genre. She lives in New York with her husband and close to her children and grandchildren. Artist and designer, Lemaire has a passion creating illustrations for children’s books.

Not only does this story explain a captain who thinks he knows everything and realizes he does not, but it also teaches stubbornness and self-determination. I wish more books showed the differences in personalities so children could learn at an early age what is acceptable and what is not.

Playful and charming, the book offers readers a fantasy of fun while looking at the creative, expressive designs at it teaches about different cloud patterns as well as how to understand one does not know everything and others can help teach new ideas and concepts.

Thanks to the author for furnishing this complimentary book in exchange for a review based on the reader’s honest opinion.