Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent

We read these book to my kids and now am ordering them for grandkids. When I go to babysit they run up and ask if I brought any Bill Peet books.

I've read elsewhere that this book is about resisting peer pressure. That sub-story is over in the first few pages and really does little but set the scene. What this story is really about is courage, self-sacrifice, and the protection of innocent life against a world that often is far too dangerous. Many adults could benefit from giving this a read and taking it to heart, and yet it's not preachy or over the heads of the children it is targetted towards. Add to this the absolutely gorgeous colored-pencil artwork (Bill Peet worked for Disney for a while; his character designs give the original 101 Dalmations and the Sword in the Stone much of their charm) and some truly memorable characters, and you have my favorite children's book, ever.

Cyrus is a loveable sea serpent who helps a doomed sea vessel and her crew of good folk across a sea filled with pirates, and storms, and the dreadful dolldrums.

I learned to read on this book! I'm 24 now, and it's miles better than the stuff I was forced to swallow in high school! "You've got no more spunk than a jellyfish! You're nothing but a big sissy" - the shark17 years later and I can still quote it!Julien

Paul, 6, and Ben, 4, say: "We liked it when Cyrus broke the pirate's ship. When he was pulling the anchor of the ship, that was the funniest part. We liked it when he was sneaking up on the ships. We like Cyrus because he's a good serpent". Mom and Dad say: "It's fun to read, and we like the illustrations, especially the expressions on Cyrus' face."