SuitabookStuck in the doldrums
Carole P. Roman
- Reading
- Read it together and pause before and after the ship attack. Invite the child to compare Captain No Beard’s idea of leading with ways a group can make play fair.
- Themes
- Sharing and cooperation: The crew is marooned, begins playing, and then struggles when Captain No Beard controls the situation and makes play unhappy. The controlling behaviour is presented as creating a problem, while cooperation and sharing are presented as important to functioning together.
- Friendship and responsibility: After Captain No Beard storms off, a giant squid attacks the ship and he realises that he needs his crew. The story links friendship with being a friend and shows dependence on others, while leaving the depth of his change unclear.
- Worth knowing
- The story includes social friction, a character storming off, being stranded, and a giant squid attacking the ship. These moments may merit discussion if peril or conflict is sensitive.