Author Katrina Germein and illustrator Tom Jellett return with a hilarious sequel to their first picture book, My Dad Thinks He’s Funny. In My Dad Thinks He’s a Pirate, a father and his family take a trip to the beach to search for buried treasure, while the father reels off line after line and page after page of corny, nautically-themed dad jokes and puns. With a repeating refrain throughout which is nice for early readers, the book ends with a short rhyme informing readers that they’ve just read an entire book!

This book will have both readers and listeners groaning with laughter. However, some of the wordplay in the jokes will have to be explained to younger listeners. For example, “See this earring? It cost one buccaneer.” Still, this book provides a wonderful opportunity to explore the humor of homophones and puns, while instilling an appreciation for the pure joy of language. This book will prove the perfect choice either as a gift from the joke-loving adult or for the joke-loving child. And, who knows? Some of these lines may become treasured family memories on the next trip to the beach.

(Review originally published on Portland Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)