Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee

BOOK DESCRIPTION::

It’s time for young Prince Noah to go to school. The prince, who starred in the book The Prince Who Was Just Himself, may be a little slower than other students, but he has no less joy in learning. In his kingdom, children go to school on sailing ships. There is a ship for girls and one for boys. There is a ship for children with an eye patch, a ship for children with one leg, and a ship for children who are slower learners. No one knows why there are so many different ships, but it has always been that way.

Then a terrible storm drives the ships into the hands of pirates. The boys and girls realize that they will only escape if everyone does what he or she does best. Through their adventures, they learn that diversity makes us strong and that every person has something to teach us.

This delightfully illustrated fairy tale instills appreciation for children with Down syndrome and other developmental challenges, making it a valuable aid for teaching tolerance in the home or classroom.

MY THOUGHTS::

Having 2 children who have been diagnosed with different conditions (one with autism and one with ADHD with symptoms that mirror Asperger's), I was intrigued by the ideas behind this book. I understand wanting to have a story for kids that show that despite differences, all kids are special in their own unique way! 

Personally, I felt that this story could be great, if it wasn't so wordy. Each page had so many words to go along with the picture. I thought the pictures were very well illustrated, but the story itself was long-winded. I felt it took away from the story. 

According to Amazon.com, this book is meant for ages 4-9 and grades 3-7. (That seems contradictory to me, as age 4 is preschool and age 9 is 4th grade???) Anyhow, so I read it to my 4 year old and 6 year old sons. My 4 year old lost interest after the 2nd page. It was too long for him and he didn't want to look at the pictures. My 6 year old said that he liked the story, but "why was it so long?" After that, I had my 9.5 year old daughter read it to herself. She said that she liked the story and that her favorite part was how they all worked together to escape from the pirates. 

So, I like the premise and the message of the story, I just wish it was able come across in a shorter version. 

DISCLAIMER::I received this book for free from Handlebar Marketing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.