October 31, 2017

Captain Monty Takes the Plunge

Written by Jennifer Mook-Sang
Illustrated by Liz Starin
Kids Can Press
978-1-77138-626-5
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
October 2017

"Monty the Malodorous was a fearsome pirate who sailed the six or seven seas.  He was brave.  He was bold." (pg. 5)  But he couldn't swim. And he certainly didn't join his mates for their weekly soakings in the ocean for a cleansing.  "This attitude earned him much respect (and a great deal of personal space)." (pg. 7)

But then Monty spies the lovely mermaid Meg.  He gives her gifts and tells her jokes and she shares her knowledge of the sea and sky with him. Though he wishes to invite her onto the ship for dinner, she declines, declaring him smelling "like stinky boots." Monty is devastated.
From Captain Monty Takes the Plunge 
by Jennifer Mook-Sang 
illus. by Liz Starin
Yet when Meg is snatched by a mega-octopus, Monty swallows his fear and takes a leap of faith and throws himself into the sea.  In a lovely twist of fate, Monty and Meg save each other and Monty becomes a sweeter-smelling swimming pirate.
From Captain Monty Takes the Plunge
by Jennifer Mook-Sang
 illus. by Liz Starin
Captain Monty Takes the Plunge is Jennifer Mook-Sang's first picture book, though she's enjoyed much success with her first middle-grade novel Speechless (Scholastic, 2015).  The same humour she used to amuse readers in that novel is evident in Captain Monty Takes a Plunge with its stinky and heartsick pirate, motley crew of a parrot, elephant, bear, rabbit and otter, and ocarina-playing mermaid.  The message of conquering one's fears is wrapped in a buoyant tale of camaraderie, infatuation, and courage.  That same buoyancy comes through in American Liz Starin's illustrations which blend bright colours for her characters with soft subtleness in the sky and sea backgrounds.
From Captain Monty Takes the Plunge 
by Jennifer Mook-Sang 
illus. by Liz Starin
Take your own plunge with Captain Monty to see that fears can be conquered with a little assistance, a lot of courage and a sizeable commitment to helping others. Yar-har-har!

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