Buccaneers' Booty: Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman

THESE PIRATES SO LOVE UNDERPANTS,

THEY ARE ON A SPECIAL QUEST

TO FIND THE FABLED PANTS OF GOLD

FOR THE CAPTAIN'S TREASURE CHEST.

Run up the Jolly Knickers flag to the masthead, hang the colorful underwear semaphores from the rigging, and steer the buccaneer brig Black Bloomers by the Captain's treasure map!

These pirates are bound to add the fabled Pants of Gold to their booty.

But, Avast! When they reach the treasure island, they find that some renegade brigands have already arrived. There are footprints in the sand and the trail leads over Long-John Bridge to their redoubt, where the treasure rests surrounded by a crew of privateers, in their underbritches, encircling the Pants of Gold which are clearly bound for their hold.

Their rivals lie sleeping soundly around their campfire, with the desired booty booty chained in the center of the camp. What to do?

The seamen of the Black Bloomers turn to their leader:

THE CAPTAIN HAS A CUNNING PLAN.

"GRAB THEIR FANCY UNDERPANTS AND...

CUT THROUGH THE ELASTIC!"

It's hard to wield a cutlass with your knickers around your ankles, and soon the Black Bloomer's buccaneers in briefs overcome their foes, seize their booty, and make for their longboats, in Claire Freedman's latest, Pirates Love Underpants (The Underpants Books) (Aladdin, 2013). Author Freedman makes the most of the guaranteed giggles that a combination of pirates and their drawers offers, buoyed up by artist Ben Cort's zany illustrations, replete with parrots and peg legs and silly seamen wearing, like Superman, their bright-hued briefs on top of their trousers.  This story calls for reading aloud with plenty of "talk like a pirate" aplomb, heavy on the Ahoys and Arrrrs.

Freedman's other underpants sagas include her opening opus, Aliens Love Underpants, as well as Aliens in Underpants Save the World (The Underpants Books),  Dinosaurs Love Underpants (The Underpants Books), and, pants-perfect for the upcoming season, Aliens Love Panta Claus (The Underpants Books.

Primary graders will happily park their pants in the story circle and learn a few new words for underwear along the way in these funny undie tales.