Forgive me for not posting in a while, as life sometimes has an inconvenient habit of getting in the way things. Life... and the harsh realities of how quickly time passes us by, have preoccupied much of my mind these past few weeks, as our family is in the process of finding a new school for our son to attend next year as a freshman in high school. A freshman. For my husband and I, those words seem so difficult to comprehend. For, as far as the two of us are concerned, even though an very tall, handsome, smart young man stands beside us, all we can see in our minds, and in our hearts, is our little boy.
So, I am sure that you can understand how I have found myself seeking solace in all things that remind me of a time, not too long ago, when my 'almost freshman' was still a little one. Times such as when, despite his small size at the tender age of four, how he would trudge around the house (and in bathroom, and into the car, and in the shopping cart in the grocery store.... you get the picture!) wearing his worn pirate hat that we brought home straight from the shop outside of his favorite ride, the Pirates of the Caribbean, at Walt Disney World, and clutching his pirate sword. With a quiet, yet strong sense of determination, quite like author Susan Schade's adorably swashbuckling, cheese-loving Captain Riff Raff in
Riff Raff, the Mouse Pirate (as well as one of his latest follow-up adventures,
Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese), he too, never let his size get in the way of all the adventures that his growing imagination would take him too.
As our first tale,
Riff Raff, the Mouse Pirate, begins, we are introduced to Captain Riff Raff and members of the loyal crew of the aptly titled, Sea Cat--- Cheddar, Munster, Swiss, and Colby. But, two mates are missing---Blue and Brie! Just as they are about to set out a search party, Blue and Brie quickly rush in, clutching a tattered treasure map. As they spread out the map to try to see where their treasure awaits them, Captain Riff Raff and his mateys are quite displeased to see that an important part of the map has been, well...nibbled away! Little Brie admits the deed, as the tantalizing aroma and taste of ketchup was just too hard to resist. With the map patched up, the mice realize that there are still words missing from the name of a street featured above the drawing of the treasure box. Which street could it be? Join the mice on this first voyage of the Sea Cat as they sail across the seas beneath the sewers of the city in search of the missing treasure.
Our second tale,
Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese, catches us up with Captain Riff Raff and his trusty crew, who are dealing with, horror of horrors.... the theft of their big cheese! As they set out to retrieve their missing cheese, they soon realize with the help of their friend, Ali the Gator, that a word that sounds like "hat", is where their cheese has been taken. Embarking on a voyage through the waters of the underground sewer pipes, Captain Riff Raff and his devoted mice travel to "Roly-Poly-Mat", only to find that the little bugs of the same name living underneath a shaggy "Welcome" mat haven't seen their cheese. Soon, they realize that their beloved cheese has been taken to, shudder the thought....the dreaded Cat Island! Will Captain Riff Raff and his tried-and-true crew mates of the Sea Cat ever get their stolen bounty back again?
Both tales, which are filled not only with the lively, rhyming text which will assist your little ones in developing their reading and vocabulary strength, but best of all, are loaded with whimsical adventures as your little pirates-in-training (and you!) will delight in trying to help the mice decode the mysteries of the hidden treasures!
Riff Raff the Mouse Pirate (I Can Read! Reading 2 With Help)
Written by Susan Schade & Pictures by Anne Kennedy
Publisher: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Childrens (2012)
Website: www.harpercollinschildrens.com
ISBN: 978-0-06-230508-4
Retails for $16.99 (Hardcover)
For ages 4 thru 8
Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese (I Can Read! Reading 2 With Help)
Written by Susan Schade & Pictures by Anne Kennedy
Publisher: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Childrens (2012)
Website: www.harpercollinschildrens.com
ISBN: 978-0-06-23-509-1
Retails for $3.99 (Softcover)
For ages 4 thru 8
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