Wednesday, September 18, 2013

"Bash and the Pirate Pig" by Burton W. Cole & illustrated by Tom Bancroft (Review & Giveaway - US and Canada)

Publisher: B&H Kids
Hardcover: 224 pages $12.99
About Bash and the Pirate Pig:  Bash and the Pirate Pig, by Burton Cole, is the story of a cranky city kid named Raymond "Beamer" Boxby who must spend summer vacation at his younger cousin, Bash's, farm.

Beamer prefers air conditioning and video games. He can't see what good can come of this so-called country fun that includes riding cows, river rafting with a pig, or playing with skunks.

But hang tight, Beamer, because Bash's zany adventures with his "Fishin' and Farmin' book" (The Bible) just might lead to the coolest discovery of all.

My thoughts:  Get ready for some down-on-the-farm, slap-stick, tickle-you-in-the-ribs, and boy-talk that'll cause your gag reflex to kick in. When city boy and country boy get up to mischief on the farm, it gets pretty exciting.

There seems no limit to the antics that Bash can dream up and it is usually at the expense of his city cousin "Ray-Ray Beamer." Nearly drowning in the pond, wrapping another "friend" with fly paper, riding cows down the road (I said cows, not horses or mules). And the beat goes on and on and on. City cousin is finally up off the couch and away from the computer game and he is busy just trying to exist without falling into some dire state.

Now what didn't I like about it? Well, I don't care for kids calling folks stupid, etc. So some of the slang could have been deleted and other suitable words in their place. Other than that, it was superbly written for a boy's book and one that will, as I said earlier, tickle-you-in-the-ribs. Also, I liked that though Bash was mischievous and very inventive, he loved the Lord and shared the plan of Salvation with others.

GIVEAWAY: Now the fun begins for you..... you have a chance to win this engaging, silly, fun book for some child in your life. Begins September 18 and ENDS  October 7 @ 12:01 a.m. ET. Open in USA and Canada - yes friends in Canada, you can try to win, too.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author:  Burton Cole is a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist with thirty years of experience and more than fifty humor writing awards to his credit. He grew up on a farm in northeast Ohio and attended a small-town church with a slew of cousins and buddies. That same boyhood inspires his colorful stories today.

About the Illustrator:  Tom Bancroft has more than twenty years of experience in the animation and illustration industry and worked with Disney on films including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin. Other clients have included DC Comics and Big Idea Productions.

DISCLOSURE:  I received a complimentary copy of this book on behalf of B&H Kids Publisher for the purpose of review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I received no compensation for this review. 

14 comments:

  1. One of my favorite childhood summer memories, is of my grandfather lying on his back, in the yard, & playing with me by stretching his arms up in the air & lifting me up & down. We were surrounded by the scent of my grandmother's lilac bushes nearby.

    bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  2. I remember rafting the big waves at Bellows in Hawaii when we lived there in the early 60's with my dad and how much fun it was.

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  3. One of our best summer memories is the local public pool which has a slide into one of the petals of its flower shape. My mother did not realize that the slide was just for kids and told me to get in line but my daughter corrected her.

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  4. This book sounds really funny and it's such a shame about the language. There's just no need for a picture book to have language like that included. Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop and I'm also hopping over from the Booknificent linky party. :)

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    1. Renee - This isn't a picture book. It is a middle-reader chapter book and there are cute illustrations on the first page of each chapter. There is no coarse language in the book. Just use of words such as stupid and idiot - which I think are just rude. The story is cute. The lessons to be learned very good. The writing skills excellent. The illustrations cute and the type to appeal to mid-to-upper-elementary age boys.

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  5. An really interesting book. It does sound funny. I am a huge prude for the language we use for children, so a great observation Vera about some of the slang and the words chosen for this age group. Thanks for linking in to the Kid Lit Blog Hop

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  6. I made a sign for my toddler this summer, and he ended up winning me concert tickets for Mother's Day! It was a blast :)

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  7. I loved going to my Aunt & Uncles for their annual pool party. It was great fun to spend time with my 3 cousins and even with my 2 older brothers.

    Paul R. Hewlett

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  8. I remember in the late 70s, my brothers (I have 6) took me fishing for the first time. I was so excited when I caught my first fish that I scream and scream.....needless to say, I not only lost my fish....I scared all of the fish away. They would never take me fishing again!

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  9. I agree with you about not enjoying kids being rude to adults, even in books! Other than that, looks like a great book! Sorry I’m so late to pop over! Thanks for sharing this post at Booknificent Thursday last week! Looking forward to seeing what you have to share with us this week!
    Tina

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  10. I remember our annual trip to an amusement park and my dad would take a day off from farming for.
    Jessica

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  11. I remember going to the zoo when we were visiting relatives in Toledo.

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  12. I used to go fishing with my friend almost every day during the summer.

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  13. This looks like a good book for those young boys who might not be eager to pick up a book to read. Thanks for sharing on the Kid Lit Blog Hop. Cheryl, Hop Hostess

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