Fluffy
Teresa Bateman, author
Teresa Bateman was born in Moscow, Idaho, but moved to Washington State when she was three-years-old and that's where she has lived most of her life.
An avid writer and reader, Teresa has been making up stories and poems since she was in grade school. "To me it was as natural as breathing," says Teresa.
Read more about Teresa.
Michael Chesworth, illustrator
Michael Chesworth is the author/illustrator of Alphabet (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux), as well as the illustrator of many books for children, including Come to the Ocean's Edge (Boyds Mills) and Little Granny Quarterback (Boyds Mills). He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Read more about Michael.
Booklist
After canine pirates capture Fluffy and his yacht, things look grim for the elegant poodle. Surrounded by a crew of scurvy sea dogs, he adopts the initially unconvincing persona, "Fluffy the Scourge of the Sea." He soon defeats the pirate captain in a series of challenges: fencing lessons come in handy during a sword fight, gourmet beats gruel in a cooking contest, and a song of hope turns the crew away from piratical thoughts. As silly as a four-year-old could wish for, but witty and well made too, the rhymed couplets flow easily as the likable hero bounds from triumph to triumph, each absurd and unlikely yet seemingly inevitable in the dogs' cartoonlike world. Chesworth's watercolor-and-colored-pencil artwork offers plenty of amusing details as well as well-composed, energetic, entertaining scenes that meld the drama with plenty of comedy.
School Library Journal
While out yachting, Fluffy, a dapper poodle, is caught by canine pirates. As they begin to taunt him for his foppish clothes and his name, he resourcefully declares that he is the boldest and most powerful pirate, "the scourge of the sea." The skeptical captain challenges the newcomer to a duel, which Fluffy wins handily. He then goes on to ousting, outcook, and outthink the buccaneer captain, resulting in the crew putting him out to sea and declaring Fluffy their new leader. After the poodle teaches the dogs that being cute will reward them more than plundering, they clean up the ship and themselves and become hugely successful and endearing pooches. The bouncing rhyming text is perfectly matched by the watercolor art. Using plenty of white space, the contrast of scurvy crew and the dandyish poodle will tickle young readers. Yo ho ho for Fluffy!
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-58089-152-3
E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-245-8 PDF
For information about purchasing E-books, click here.
Ages: 3-7
Page count: 32
9 x 9