Commander Toad and the Space Pirates

Boredom settles over the crew of the space ship STAR WARTS and Commander Toad has to do something quick. Lieutenant Lily, Mr. Hop, Jake Skyjumper and Doc Peepers are all unhappy. They've watched all the ship's movies-SPLASH GORDON, THE TOAD WARRIOR, INDIANA FROG AND THE LILY PAD OF DOOM-and read all the ship's books-ROBIN TOAD, THE LIZARD OF OZ, and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN WARTS-and played a lot of croak-kay, leapfrog, and hopscotch. There is nothing to do and they're all going a little crazy. That all changes the day Commander Salamander and his pirate crew arrive. Commander Salamander boards STAR WARTS and takes everyone captive except for Doc Peepers. Only a little while after that, Commander Salamander makes Commander Toad Hop the Plank at sword point! Only Doc Peepers can save the day!Jane Yolen is an award-winning children's book author as well as a writer of adult science fiction and fantasy. She's earned the Caldecott-given for the most distinguished picture book, the Nebula-given to the most distinguished writing in the field of science fiction and fantasy, the Golden Kite-given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the World Fantasy Award. She's written seven Commander Toad Adventures, including COMMANDER TOAD AND THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE PLANET OF THE GRAPES, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES, and COMMANDER TOAD AND THE BIG BLACK HOLE. With dozens of books written in many genres, Jane Yolen is a great author to introduce to young readers.Fun to read out loud and filled with puns and sight gags really well drawn by Bruce Degen, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES is a blast to share with young or reluctant readers. The sentences are short and choppy, driving the story on and filling the events with laughs. The pirate talk, "Yo-ho-ho, me slithery-slees!" is top-notch and will inspire young readers to quote the lines long after the book is finished-if an adult is willing to read the passages in a properly piratical dramatization. The solution to the pirates, once revealed, is hilarious and makes perfect sense even to pre-readers who understand story and set-up that comes in narrative repetition.The Commander Toad series, all seven books, is recommended for imaginative young readers who have already been exposed to STAR WARS, STAR TREK, and various other science fiction based television shows and movies. Jane Yolen is one of the most entertaining authors for young minds out there.

Jane Yolen's "Commander Toad" series is a charming science fiction spoof, and an excellent children's book. The detailed, zany illustrations by Bruce Degen are the perfect complement to the witty text and off-the-wall characters. The test of any children's book is its reception by actual children, and "Commander Toad and the Space Pirates" gets full marks there. It has been requested so many times by my 5- and 3- year-old siblings that I can now recite it from memory. The text stands the test of many repetitions, and my five year old brother, just now learning to write, can often be heard to request "Mom, how do you spell 'Commander Toad'? How do you spell 'Space Pirates?'.