Books like Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
By Giles Andreae
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs turns a school supply closet into a pirate ship, and that's the trick that gets kids every time. Once Flinn's crew sails off after those dinosaurs, your kid is up off the couch waving an invisible sword. The books below are for anyone still hunting for treasure in the coat closet.
A crocodile and his bird friend travel to the United States to rescue a kidnapped cousin taken to an Exotic Animal Farm — and along the way, the bird himself gets captured.
Skippyjon Jones: Cirque de Olé by Judy Schachner has the same galloping read-aloud bounce, swapping pirate ship battles for a cat who thinks he's a daredevil in a circus ring.
A stretchy superhero worm spends his days rescuing bugs in trouble, until a wicked Wizard Lizard captures him — and his friends must find a way to set him free.
Warned to fear the Big Bad Mouse, the Gruffalo's curious child sneaks into the deep dark wood to hunt him down — only to spot the mouse and a mysterious giant shadow looming close behind.
When a bullying wolf threatens to blow down their houses, three pig siblings each pick a martial art to fight back — but only the one who actually practices is ready when he shows up.
No pirates this time, just a giant next door. David's Father by Robert Munsch gets the same jump-in-your-seat scare out of something totally ordinary.
More swashbuckling crews on a mission, except Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel sends them after the alphabet instead of a stolen ship.
Skip this one if your kid wants swordfights. Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies is all crowd-noise and ballpark fun, no villain to defeat.
A young turtle gets ready for a Halloween party with his friends, but his excitement turns to worry when he becomes convinced a real ghost has shown up.
A small shaggy dog sets off for a walk through town, picking up one furry friend after another, until the whole gang runs smack into Scarface Claw, the toughest cat around, and must race home.
Two kids arguing over how the story should go gives Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley a different kind of chaos than Flinn's straight-ahead pirate quest.
Reach for How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen when the dinosaurs are the favorite part but you want the mayhem to happen at a desk, not on deck.
