The Pirate of Kindergarten

Citation:

Lyon, George Ella. 2010. The Pirate of Kindergarten. Ill.  by Lynne Avril. New York: Atheneum for Young Readers.

ISBN 9781416950240

Summary:

Ginny doesn’t know why she runs into things or sees two of everything. A trip to the school nurse during a class vision screening confirms that Ginny has double vision. After a visit to the optometrist, Ginny is given special glasses and an eye patch to correct her double vision. With her new eye patch, she becomes a “Kindergarten Pirate” and can now see and do everything her classmates can like using scissors and reading. 

Critical Analysis:

The Pirate of Kindergarten is a touching look into a young girl’s disability and how her disability is handled. Ginny is an energetic kindergartener who loves reading and drawing, but her problem seeing double gets in the way of her learning. We see her struggle with getting teased, something many children with disabilities endure. Readers of all ages can relate to the emotions Ginny feels as she struggles to do the things she loves. The moment she learns of her disability during a classroom visit to the nurse is emotional as Ginny begins to cry. However her trip to see Dr. Clare goes smoothly and the fact that she needs special glasses and a patch to help her see is turned into a positive situation. As she becomes a "Kindergarten Pirate", her disorder is no longer a problem. Her confidence is revealed and the reader is able to take away the message that being a little different can be fun.

Lynne Avril’s illustrations work perfectly with Lyon’s narrative. The illustrations are cartoon-like with characters outlined distinctly in uneven colored pencil lines. Vibrant watercolors and mixed media bring color to each character and Ginny’s double vision is represented accurately with duplicate letters, numbers and symbols. Character expressions are simple and clear; particularly Ginny’s many faces as she goes through numerous emotions. Avril's "Kindergarten Pirate" illustration is perhaps the most rewarding as the reader gets to see Ginny enjoying her time at school and using her disability as a means to play and have fun while using scissors, climbing on the playground, and reading. Another powerful illustration takes place during the climactic point of the book when Ginny is told about her disability. Avril represents Ginny’s sadness through a bright blue page with a single teardrop surrounding the text. This particular illustration might not be full of detail, but the emotions it conjures are meaningful and real.

Review Excerpt(s):

“Even children who have not experienced Ginny's problem will understand her occasional frustration and find it intriguing that one person can literally see the world differently from another.”

~ Booklist, May 2010

“This small episode, taken from the author's own experience, is much more than bibliotherapy, even though it covers Ginny's remedial eye patch (hence the title). In single or double vision, Ginny simply glows.”

~ Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, June 2010 

Connections:

More books about amblyopia:

Headley, Justina Chen. 2006. The Patch. Ill. by Mitch Vane. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

ISBN 9781580891707

Kobliner, Beth and Shaw, Jacob. 2013. Jacob's Eye Patch. Ill. by Jules Feiffer.  New York: Simon and Schuster.

ISBN 9781476737324

Classroom Activities: Here is a great printable guide full of activities for The Pirate of Kindergarten including vocabulary scaffolding, before and after discussion questions and art projects:

http://www.rif.org/documents/us/The-Pirate-of-Kindergarten-ALL.pdf