Bibliography
Lyon, George Ella. 2010. THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN. Ill. Lynne Avril. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 10-1416950249
Plot Summary
Ginny, a young girl, sees things in blurry doubles which makes it hard for her to read and use scissors. She is able to read only if she closes one eye. On Vision Screening Day, the nurse discovers that Ginny has double vision and needed to go to the eye doctor to find a solution to the problem. The eye doctor prescribes eye exercises, glasses and for a little while, an eye patch. Ginny enjoys being a Kindergarten Pirate and being able to see only one of everything!
Critical Analysis
Lyon's story about young Ginny, who knows that only half of what she sees is real but struggles in knowing which, is a great choice for helping young children understand our differences and things can be changed for the better when adults are made aware of the problem. Ginny thought everyone saw the way she did, but she wasn't able to read words just once, without her nose in the book, or with both eyes open. Lyon somewhat glosses over other children laughing at Ginny, letting the reader take what they will from the occurrences when Ginny must deal with this. Overall, Ginny is shown to be a happy little girl who loves to read and tries her best who all young children could relate to.
Avril's illustrations are rendered in chalk pastels mixed with acrylic medium, and primacolor pencils. They are brightly colored and engaging and help to tell the story through Ginny's doubled vision. These pictures help the reader understand what it would be like to see through Ginny's eyes and can make your head hurt if you look for too long. After Ginny has her eye patch, the illustrations become a bit more crisp and clear. The bright colors and active letters and numbers that "hop around like popcorn" will interest children of all ages, but expertly conveys the excitement of Kindergarten.
Review Excerpts
*Schneider Family Book Award Recipient
School Library Journal: "Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of "two of everything" provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world."
Booklist: "Created with pastels, acrylics, and colored pencils, Avril’s bold and wonderfully vivid mixed-media illustrations sometimes portray the classroom through Ginny’s eyes, with overlapping images of chairs, books, and people, though they usually present an outside perspective. Based on Lyon’s own experience, the sensitively written story radiates empathy and good humor."
Connections
Lewis, Beverly. 2007. IN JESSE'S SHOES. Ill. Laura Nikiel. Bloomington, MN: Behany House Publishers. ISBN 10-0764203134
Thomas, Pat. 2005. DON'T CALL ME SPECIAL: A FIRST LOOK AT DISABILITY. Ill. Leslie Harker. Barron's Educational Series. ISBN 10-0764121189
Turner, Deborah. 1998. HOW WILLY GOT HIS WHEELS. Ill. Rhonda McHugh. Wilsonville, OR: Doral Publishing, Inc. ISBN 10-0944875548
Willis, Jeanne. 1999. SUSAN LAUGHS. Ill. Tony Ross. Henry Holt & Company, LLC. ISBN 10-0805065016
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