Review: Captain Barnacle’s Aquarium

Captain Barnacle’s Aquarium by Edward Miller (HarperCollins, 2006)

Yo, ho, ho! The old pirate, Captain Barnacle and his trusty  parrot are ready to take a class on a tour of his famous aquarium. The salty old sea dog has tales to tell of his days at sea, fighting other pirates, battling storms, and searching for treasure. From sailing through shark-infested waters, to getting clues from dophins, to treasure hunts and fights wtih giant sea squids, Captain Barnacle’s adventures hold the class entranced.

But throughout the pages are lots informative bits of sea lore about the fish and other sea creatures that Captain Barnacle encounters. Readers can read the tale straight through, then go back and read the information, or take in all the information on each page at once.

For young children, Captain Barnacle is a good introduction into studies of sea life, though parents and teachers will want to explain where fact ends and fantasy begins, lest children think that their first visit to an aquarium will bring them face-to-face with a pirate. Classrooms and homeschool kids could take a tip from the format of the book and create their own “aquarium” with sea facts and drawings of sea life.