How to be a Pirate - Cressida Cowell

.../> ***Interesting Trivia*** (Taken from How to speak Dragonese)
The rights to the Horrible Horrendous the Third Series have been bought by Dreamworks Animation, the creators of Shrek with the view to releasing the first of the three films , How to Train your Dragon in 2009.

***About the author***(Taken from How to Speak Dragonese)
As a relatively new addition to the world of successful Children's books authors, there ...
...other Hiccup the Horrendous Books, How to Train your Dragon and How to Speak Dragonese

***Who is Hiccup Horrendous?***
This is the third book in the series. If you have read any of the Hiccup Horrendous books you will be familiar with Hiccup and his friends already. For those of you who haven't let me explain.

Hiccup is son and Heir to the Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Vikings. Unfortunately, Hiccup is not the natural ... more

*As this is one book in a series of 3 that I am reviewing, there will be some doubling up on info relating to the whole series and the author.

I picked three of the Hiccup Horrendous series books up one day as I struggled to find something that would appeal to my Step-son. Now 10 years old, he doesn't read often but since he was four I have read to him every night he spends with us and this continues today. The intention was to find books that he would connect with and be interested in enough to read himself. Unfortunately, he is fixated on WWF at the moment so doesn't get to excited about anything else. Having said that, I read all three books within a week and could happily read them all over again!

Author/Illustrator: Cressida Cowell
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Publish Date: July 2004
Genre: Children's adventure
Age Suitability: 7 - 11 year olds (probably mostly for boys)
RRP: £5.99 Amazon Price: £4.79
Available from most major book stores (Waterstones, Chapters, Borders, WHS etc)

***Interesting Trivia*** (Taken from How to speak Dragonese)
The rights to the Horrible Horrendous the Third Series have been bought by Dreamworks Animation, the creators of Shrek with the view to releasing the first of the three films , How to Train your Dragon in 2009.

***About the author***(Taken from How to Speak Dragonese)
As a relatively new addition to the world of successful Children's books authors, there isn't a lot known about Cowell.

Before establishing herself as a highly successful author, Cressida worked as an illustrator and was short-listed for the Macmillan Prize for Illustration, and indeed, she provides the limited illustrations throughout this book as well as doing the cover artwork.

She lives in London with her husband and their young daughter

Other books by Cressida Cowell include picture books, Daddy on the Moon, What shall we do Boo Baby, What shall we do with the Boo Hoo Baby and the other Hiccup the Horrendous Books, How to Train your Dragon and How to Speak Dragonese

***Who is Hiccup Horrendous?***
This is the third book in the series. If you have read any of the Hiccup Horrendous books you will be familiar with Hiccup and his friends already. For those of you who haven't let me explain.

Hiccup is son and Heir to the Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Vikings. Unfortunately, Hiccup is not the natural warrior Stoick (his father) would have hoped for. Hiccup and his friend Fishlegs are at the bottom of the class as far as mastering these skills go and they don't have much of an interest in improving. Hiccup prefers to concentrate on activities like learning the language of dragons so he can communicate with his little fire breather, Toothless, who like his owner is not exactly inspired by greatness.

Hiccup is a smart boy in a town of…well, not so smart people. Vikings have always pout brawn before brains and as Hiccup has little to offer in this area (He can't even yell at a foreigner properly!) He finds himself isolated apart from his dragon and best friend Fishlegs.

The series follows Hiccup and his classmates through their Hooligan training at school where they cover all sorts of essential Viking skills such as how to yell at foreigners, how to train your dragon, how to sword fight, how to take over the enemies boat, and how to insult your opponent.

***What's How to be a Pirate all about?***
While with his class practicing sword-fighting on board a Viking ship in the middle of a storm - Just another day at Viking school, Hiccup finds himself being battered by one of the class bullies, Snotlout. Just as Snotlout is about to drive his unprotected sword through Hiccups heart, a huge wave crashes over them sending the students flying in all directions. Fishlegs and Hiccup struggle to stay afloat in the murky depths of the uneasy sea and are only miraculously rescued when a mysterious coffin lands with a crash just within reach giving them something to hold onto until they can reach safety.

When they finally make it to shore for an ear-bashing from their horrible teacher Gobber the Belch, they notice the writing on the coffin. It says that the coffin is that of Grimsbeard the Gastly, Hiccups infamous ancestor who is thought to be one of the greatest Viking Heroes of all time. The class bring their great find back to the village where a town meeting is called. Stoick and all the towns' people are set on opening the coffin despite the warning that no one is to open it or they will face the consequences. Ignoring the pleas of Hiccup and his Grandfather they open the coffin to find what they think is the remains of Grimsbeard only to be terrified when the body sits up to greet them.

Far from being the remains of a hero, they find Alvin a con artist who convinces the town that he is only a poor farmer who was captured by the Vikings arch enemies and stuffed inside the coffin. He also shows a clue which was left inside the coffin indicating a treasure beyond their wildest dreams. The catch is that it also states that only the true heir (Hiccup) will find the treasure.

Hiccup would prefer to leave well enough alone but the town agrees to set off for the island where they believe the treasure is hidden. Unfortunately, the island is inhabited by the deadliest of deadly dragons. Totally blind and deaf, they catch their prey through scent alone. Because they have such a powerful sense of smell and Vikings are not known to be the most hygienic of people, there is a definite risk although all the boys and men who go on the expedition are under strict instructions not to produce any bodily odours while on the island. For many, this is a challenge in itself.

From there excitement ensues with treasure, ugly dragon beasts, kidnapping, capsized ships, sword fights and near death experiences a plenty ending with Fishlegs, Hiccup and their dragons trapped in a small air pocket at the bottom of the sea.

To find out if they escape, get rid of Alvin and find the treasure you will just have to read the book!

***lustrations***
As with How to Speak Dragonese, Cressida Cowell does her own sketches to accompany this story. All of the characters that feature heavily in the book are illustrated throughout bringing these vibrant characters to life before your eyes. Amazingly, I found each of her drawings reflected exactly how I imagined the characters to be. Hiccup is a small weedy looking thing with an over-sized helmet and a frightened little face while characters like Gobber the Belch are drawn as big hairy, ugly beings with crumbs and dirt falling off them all over the place. I can quite imaging him having fleas. The villain, Alvin has sharp pointy features and beady eyes and is permanently hunched over in a nasty, plotting manner. He has a hook on one hand which just adds to the untrustworthiness of him.

***Opinion of the story***
Cressida Cowell has written a series filled with anticipation and How to be a Pirate is no exception. Each time Hiccup survives some horrible event he is thrown straight back into another terrifying situation. It is an absolute roller coaster of a ride and one that kids will love!

She writes in a manner kids can identify with while allowing them to indulge in a world full of grossness, danger and adventure. Cowell embraces the disgustingness of her characters and the creatures they come in contact with and celebrates their bad habits and all around revoltingness.

Cowell is phenomenal at descriptive writing and sets the scene so well. As I mentioned before, the sketches of the characters were exactly as I imagined them to be because she had described every single aspect of them to the reader. As you read it you can almost hear Hiccups heart racing as he runs for safety. You can feel the cold damp air that surrounds the town 365 days a year. You can smell Gobber's breath as he yells at his pupils for botching up another exercise.

Somehow, Cowell turns a frightening story into something clever and funny which has children (and parents too) laughing instead of being too scared to turn the lights out. She writes for her young readers - although there is plenty included to entertain the parents as well.

This is a superb book from a fantastic writer. Unless you are terribly offended by slightly gruesome tales, this is a must for any pre-teen who needs some encouragement to read more. No kid can fail to get caught up in the adventures of Hiccup and the absurdity of his world.

 

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