Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
Back in the days before famous pirates like Black Beard, there was a lousy pirate named Roger. Here he is sent down into the hold whenever there is serious pirate business, because he can't tell starboard from larboard and he is too pleasant to make anyone afraid of him. His shipmates call him Jolly Roger, and not nicely. The ship he sails on is "the terror of the high seas." When their only worth enemy, the Admiral, attacks, Roger is sent below. There, while trying to bake a cake to mollify his mates, he causes a double-page explosion that frightens the Admiral and his men away. To honor this absurd event, the sailors make a special flag, now known as the Jolly Roger. The subtle humor of the story is magnified by the not-so-subtle double-page scenes of scowling pirates doing dastardly things and of Roger's zany ultimate misadventure. The pictures emphasize the rugged life at sea, the confusion of battle, even the ornate elegance of the Admiral's uniform, all with exaggerated comedy. The depiction of Roger after his explosive entrance is particularly funny. Words and music for "The Ballad of Jolly Roger" are included to extend the fun. 2004, HarperCollins Publishers, $15.99 and $16.89. Ages 4 to 8.

Catherine Hoyt (CM Magazine, September 17, 2004 (Vol. XI, No. 2))
Roger was a failure as a pirate; he was just too nice. Roger's shipmates made fun of him and always sent him below deck when any real pirating was to be done. Roger's band of pirates was notorious on the high seas, and ships fled at the mere sight of them. Only the Admiral wasn't afraid of the scoundrels. On the day that the Admiral finally attacked the pirate ship, Roger was sent below as usual. Roger spent his time below trying to figure out a way to make the other pirates like him. Roger decided to bake a special cake and used the only “pot” he could find. Up on deck, the Admiral's men were winning the battle, and the future of the pirates and their ship looked bleak. Just as the pirate captain was about to surrender, Roger lit the wick attached to his pot and sat back to wait for the cake to bake. The explosion blew Roger straight through the deck and into the middle of the battle. The terrifying sight of Roger forced the Admiral and his men to abandon ship. Covered in flour and soot, Roger's ghostly appearance accidentally saved the day. Roger's grateful shipmates made a special flag in his honour, and that is how the skull and cross bones flag; the Jolly Roger came to be the symbol of pirate ships. Author/illustrator Brett Helquist is best known as the illustrator of Lemony Snicknet's “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” This humourous treasure is the first book he has both written and illustrated. This is an excellent read aloud choice for children of all ages. Kids will identify with this underdog and delight in his victory. The colourful detailed illustrations are a perfect match for the story. This combination will have no trouble holding the attention of the intended audience. The pirates look suitably fierce without being too scary. As an added bonus, the words and music to the “Ballad of Jolly Roger” are included at the end of the story. Roger, the Jolly Pirate is a highly recommended purchase for school and public libraries. This rousing tale is a great gift choice for any young buccaneer. Highly Recommended. Rating: **** /4. Preschool-grade 3. 2004, HarperCollins (Distributed in Canada by HarperCollins Publishers Canada), 32 pp., cloth, $19.99. Ages 4 to 8.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 5))
Helquist takes a break from illustrating "A Series of Unfortunate Events" for a solo debut, offering an eye-rolling account of the pirate flag's origin. Dubbed "Jolly Roger" by his shipmates-and "they didn't' mean it nicely"-an inept pirate is sent belowdecks when the ship is attacked by a British Man-O-War. In an effort to increase his social standing, Roger decides to bake a cake in an unused cannon-so when he blasts into sight, a ragged figure covered with white flour and burnt powder, the frightened attackers flee, and his grateful chums sew up a flag in his honor. Sporting a gap-toothed grin, argyle socks, and a chicken on his shoulder, Roger's definitely a misfit among his scowling, beetle-browed mates, but then, looks-not to mention a continuing inability to tell "the starboard from the larboard, the windward from the leeward, or the mizzen from the main"-aren't everything. A bit of spindrift for young pirate fans, capped by a brief ballad (not seen). 2004, HarperCollins, 40p, $15.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 7 to 9. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 9))
While there’s a bit of controversy over the exact origin of the piratical black flag, Helquist has a theory. Amiable but bumbling pirate Roger is so inept at the serious business of boarding and thieving that his fellow freebooters stow him below deck when there’s action in the offing. To ingratiate himself with his shipmates, Roger attempts to bake a cake and, mistaking the cannon for a cooking pot, lights the fuse to fire it up and blows himself right through the planking into the middle of a battle. The Redcoats panic at the sight of the flour- and soot-covered human projectile and abandon ship, and a grateful crew honors Jolly Roger with a flag in his remarkably skull-like image. The thin but manic proceedings are more silly than hilarious, and as the resultant flag is just plain goofy, it’s not easy to see how it could come to be a feared symbol at sea. The cast, however, comprises an admirable rabble of hawk-nosed, narrow-eyed villains and square-jawed, powdered-wigged officers (only Roger breaks from the severe angularity with a ruddy round nose), and the shipboard scenes (tightly packed but generally controlled) are dominated by deep earthy hues against teal sea and sky. With a fleet of piratical picture books plying the sea lanes, listeners may find in Cannon’s On the Go with Pirate Pete and Pirate Joe (BCCB 9/02), or Laurence’s Captain and Matey Set Sail (9/01) a richer trove of wackiness to plunder. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, HarperCollins, 40p, $16.89 and $15.99. Ages 5-8 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2004)
Pirate Roger, whose chipper personality irks his gruff compatriots, decides to make a cake in hopes of winning over the enemy. A baking accident gives his face a skull-like look that scares off the attackers and is later used as the "jolly roger" pirate-flag emblem. Illustrated with angular cartoonlike art, the story requires some suspension of disbelief, as when Roger mistakes a cannon for a mixing bowl. Category: Picture Books. 2004, HarperCollins, 40pp, $15.99, $16.89. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.