Spark Your Child’s Imagination With Captain No Beard {A Book Review}
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“An imaginary tale of a pirate’s life“… that was all I needed to read to know that we wanted to review these stories from Carole P. Roman. Prior to this, I was unfamiliar with Carole P. Roman books and collections, but the Captain No Beard series promised to be entertaining for my two youngest, and provide a nice lesson right alongside. Together, with three titles from the series, we decided to go on this imaginary tale and enjoy the adventure.
For The Love Of Reading
To say we enjoy reading in our home, might be an understatement. From the time our children are born, books are always available and read to them. Bonding, time together, and increased vocabulary are all wonderful benefits from stories for babies.
As they get older, we continue down this literary trail, reading a wide variety of books, old and new, fun and serious, fiction and non-fiction.
Today, we have amassed more than a few books. Our bookshelves are bursting at the seams with books of every shape and size. They can be found in each and every room of our home, often stacked and shelved in a way to accommodate more books than recommended.
There are even a few random boxes in the living room holding books for the littlest of readers. All of the kids read daily, and it’s nothing new for my four-year-old to ask for “just one more story” before bed.
For us, reading is more than just something we do for school and more than just something we do for fun. It’s a part of who we are as a family – enjoying stories both together and as we share the ones we read on our own.
Captain No Beard lives on an island with his mates Mongo the monkey, Linus the lion, Fribbet the frog, and his first mate (and cousin) Hallie. Together they sail on the Flying Dragon where Captain No Beard learns that “being a captain is hard work.”
However, he has no time to worry about the challenges of running the ship as there is a storm and they appear to be sailing right for it.
Through teamwork, the crew manages to survive the storm and rescue a crew member who falls overboard. A voice calling up from the depths of Davey Jones’ Locker wonders just what all the noise could be. The crew quickly realizes that it’s simply a mermaid, and she has brought doubloons that look suprisingly like cookies for the hungry crew.
She also reminds Alexander that Captain No Beard and his crew have left quite the mess in his bedroom and that it will have to be cleaned up before dinner.
This first book in the series is a story that literally has my four-year-old laughing out loud. On my lap, we read the story enjoying our introduction to Alexander, a.k.a. Captain No Beard, his cousin Hallie, and the three stuffed animals that make up the crew. Armed with a vivid imagination, a telescope, and a toy pirate ship, this first book in the series was pure enjoyment.
This book happens to be the 6th book in the series, however, it was actually the first one we read. We simply grabbed in on our way out the door to one of our extra-curricular activities. I thought reading a story would be a great way to pass the time.
This story features Captain No Beard, Hallie, Mongo, Linus, and Fribbet, but also introduces us to a couple of new characters – Matie the goat – pronounced, “Maaaatie,” and Cayla, the captain’s little sister.
We find the crew onboard the Flying Dragon parched, as they had run out of juice boxes, and unable to find water on a deserted island. And as we all know, tempers run short on a pirate ship fresh out of beverages on a hot day.
Unfortunately, the crew begins blaming the new member of their team, Matie, for drinking all of their juice boxes and being a round of name-calling, putting the poor goat in a bad position. Both Matie and Cayla are obviously hurt by the crew’s accusations. However, Captain No Beard is no stranger to the hard work that it takes to run his ship and quickly points out that no one is perfect.
New friendships are created and a solution to thirst is found on another island – coconuts.
The Crew Goes Coconuts tackles the challenging topics of both peer pressure and bullying, reminding kids that there is always something good to look for in other people.
In book number 7 of the series, we find the crew cold and confused as they sail among snow and icebergs. The whole crew is quite perplexed as Captain No Beard announces that he is following Polaris due north for a mission they are all unaware of.
The captain finally confesses that he plans to take something and bring it back home because they are pirates, and that is what pirates do.
The crew, however, has no interest in participating in the Captain’s plan to steal, even if is something as beautiful as the Northern Lights. Hallie, the ships first mate, has a better idea though, and after calling the Captain below deck she shows him that while you cannot take the Aurora Borealis you can draw it for yourself.
Just like the other books in the series, The Aurora Borealis story tackles a challenging concept in a fun and light way. Even though the crew of the Flying Dragon are pirates, stealing is wrong, and it takes a great grew to remind Captain No Beard of this.
Who Is Carole P. Roman and What Else Does She Offer?
Carole P. Roman is the author of the Captain No Beard series as well as dozens of other books geared towards children ages 3-8. In addition to the Captain No Beard series, she has authored the If You Were Me And Lived In… series, the Oh Susannah series, as well as several bedtime storybooks.
Now, I did not have the opportunity to review everything in her collection. Thankfully, the Homeschool Review Crew was given access to a wide variety of titles from many of Carole’s collections. You can read reviews covering some of her other stories here.
Bring Back Story Time And Spark Your Child’s Imagination
Whether you are simply looking for a great story to read together with your children, or looking to teach them a little about the world around them, Carole P. Roman books and collections have something for everyone. Why not grab a book or two, and your child, and bring back bedtime stories or family read-alouds? If it’s been a while, the Captain No Beard series is a great one to start with.
And even if your house, like mine, is busting at the seams with books already, who couldn’t use more books?
Kelly Warner is a seasoned homeschooling mom from Maine, where she lives with her husband and their four children—two of whom are proud homeschool graduates. With years of experience navigating the ups and downs of home education, Kelly is passionate about helping families simplify their journey and find encouragement amidst the chaos of daily life. She shares practical tips, inspiration, and real-life homeschooling wisdom on her website, Hope In The Chaos, and across social media.
