Product Description

Two sailors were keeping watch alone when the governor's men stormed aboard the Vanity. Those two--the legend-inspiring pirate queens Anne Bonney and Mary Reade--fought bravely but called in vain for their shipmates, who sported and drank below deck. Jane Yolen's stirring ballad immortalizes these two daring women and offers readers an intriguing look at life on the high seas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #136074 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Based on a 1720 incident in which two female pirates escaped a death sentence because they were pregnant, this rollicking ballad is "offbeat and grimly amusing," said PW. Ages 4-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6?"And silver the coins and silver the moon,/Silver the waves on the top of the sea..." Yolen writes a most unusual ballad of pirate adventure that sings the history of Anne Bonney and Mary Reade, the only 2 women of the 12 pirates aboard the Vanity. They defend the ship from the men of the governor's man-o'-war, Albion, while their captain and the rest of the crew are below drinking rum and playing cards. The females are absolutely the best and bravest of this bad lot. The Vanity is taken; all are brought to trial, but Anne and Mary escape hanging by "pleading their bellies" (claiming they are pregnant), a page taken from history for which Yolen provides notes. Shannon's acrylics are rich, dark, and realistic, and expand upon the story. Faces glow as they did in his work for Rafe Martin's Rough-Face Girl (Putnam, 1992). The depth of the art is reminiscent of great classic illustrators working in oil, especially N.C. Wyeth. This is not for the faint of heart?no good pirate story is?as pirates are not a God-fearing lot. But it is for those who crave high adventure, death-defying acts, and an unflinching glimpse into history. A rousing read-aloud.?Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5. Finally, equal time for female ruffians. In this picture book for older readers, Yolen's ballad recounts the last stand of Anne Bonney and Mary Reade, real-life women pirates of the early 1700s. When a government vessel attacked their ship, Anne and Mary fought back fiercely. Although they called to their fellow pirates for help, their male comrades (including the women's "husbands" ) lolled below deck, drinking rum and playing cards. The men were hanged, but the women "pled their bellies," and the judge freed the pregnant pirates. Yolen's jingly rhymes are a little forced in places but lend themselves well to theatrical reading aloud. Shannon's very handsome acrylic paintings convey the tale's excitement with dramatic compositions in bold reds against smoky backgrounds. The eighteenth-century feeling is enhanced by pen-and-ink borders and the use of a parchment-colored background for the text. Pirate fans will enjoy Yolen's informative author's note--and the alluring skull and crossed swords on the back cover. Leone McDermott

Customer Reviews

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens
The book that I chose to read for my third critical reflection was called The Pirate Queens. The book was based on the true story of the final voyage of female pirates Anne Bonney and Mary Reade. It portrays the scenario of how Bonney and Reade's ship The Vanity was overtaken by a government sent ship headed by Captain Albion. The story was one of war, pride, and deceit. The crew of The Vanity, consisting of all men, turne their back on the female pirates and chose not to assist in defending the ship. As a result, the ship is seized and burned and the entire crew was put to death. Bonney and Reade, however, were spared due to the fact that they were expecting children. At this particular time in history it was unthinkable to murder an unborn child regardless of the crimes of the mother. This book is a good read for young children for many reasons. For one, it is easy to read and understand. The author, Jane Yolen, does a great job of describing the scene in an easy to understand, entertaining way. There were several parts of the book that are written in rhyme which is something that I always enjoyed as a child because it made the text easier to follow. Also, ever couple of pages the book returns to a recurring phrase which emphasizes The Vanity's beauty, power, and presence as one of the great ships of the time. The literature is presented in a scroll fashion on the left page. This gives the book a feeling of the time it is describing. The background in which the words are written are a dull yellow which is consistent with how an old manuscript would look presently. Another fabulous aspect of the book is the illustrations. I am not in any way exaggerating when I say that the illustrations within this book are among the best I have ever seen. Each picture takes up the entire left side of the page. These pictures are extremely detailed in every aspect. David Shannon, who illustrated the book, did so with an acrylic paint on an illustration board. As a result is has a very rustic and real look to it which adds greatly to the overall appeal of the book. Each picture is very dark. This also gives the reader a feel for the time since lighting was at a minimal almost anywhere in the world, especially on sea. All of the pictures also have a phrase which describes who or what the picture is illustrating. For example there is a picture in the middle of the book which shows an enemy ship, called The Albion, approaching The Vanity. The caption reads, "The Albion engages the Vanity in battle." The idea that this book is good based solely on the fact that children would like it cut the potential of this book short. Often the idea of whether or not the book will appeal to children is what I focus on. Here, I think it is important to point out that this book is interesting enough to stand alone regardless of its intended audience. Overall, based on the illustrations alone, I think that this book is the best I have reflected upon to this point. Their is a lot of aesthetic appeal that really catches the eye and allows for a great deal of fantasy. This along with the interesting story that accompanies it are both reasons to share this adventure young children of both genders. The idea of pirate life will fascinate young boys while the fact that the two main characters were women will keep young girls interested.

How Cute
I love this book. It's so cute. The poems are adorable, and the illustrations are fantastic. Love it.

Not Good!
For at least 20 years I have been studying about pirates. And for at least 20 years I have been reading about the two lady pirates. Anne Bonny and Mary Read. The farther back in history you go, the less documentation you will find. Well, in the Institute of Jamaica, Kingston I copied the trial transcripts of Jack Rackham, those two young ladies, Captain Vane, etc., as well as other documentation that may or may not be entirely factual. But the Ballad of the Pirate Queens states that the book is factual. Yes, Anne and Mary were captured on Calico Jack Rackham's ship (name unknown, but it is named "Vanity" in this book!) in Negril Bay, Jamaica. But in the book it states Anne was Jack's wife. Wrong, she was James Bonny's wife. The book also states the pirates had captured twelve turtle fisherman that day. Wrong. They captured no one that day, much less twelve turtle fishermen. (Remember I have copies of the trial transcripts!!!) No one knew two of the crew were woman until they were taken to St. Jago de la Vega, Jamaica (now called Spanish Town, where I visited 18 years ago). Only one pleaded her belly (Anne's pregnancy), and Mary died of an illness in her jail cell. I never read a single speculation that Mary was taken out of the cell in a shroud, and Anne and Mary moved to Louisiana to live happily ever after raising their children. (Just think--Louisiana in the early 1700's was sparcely populated with anything but gators and skeeters!!! Do you remotely believe that two single mothers would move there to raise their children?) I am thinking, however, of framing those beautiful illustrations in BALLAD! Please don't take Ballad of the Pirate Queens seriously. Instead, read other pirate books where it is obvious the author did her research or at least explained that the book was her own fictionalized account. Anne Bonny plays a secondary, and much more realistic, character in The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, a novel for older children. The author also talks about myths and facts about pirates of The Golden Age of Piracy. The photos of pirates and slaves of that era teach more history than Ballad even begins to. Did you know fugitive slaves often signed aboard pirate ships?