The Fort

by Laura Perdew, Adelina Lirius (Illustrator)

Overview

Can a pirate and a prince learn to share?

In the fort in the woods, a prince is preparing his castle for a lively feast for the royal kingdom. Unbeknownst to him, a pirate uses the same fort as her ship, planning to venture out to the open seas in search of treasure. But when a treasure map appears on the prince’s party invitations, and the pirate finds that her sword has turned into a scepter, they realize there is an intruder in the castle—no, ship! Soon, a battle over the fort between the adversaries ensues, leading to a humorous showdown. When they make amends, their amazing imaginations come up with a new adventure…together.

Kids will revel in the spirited and imaginative battle and be thrilled by the turn of events. Dynamic and charismatic illustrations bring this witty tale and its celebration of sharing and teamwork to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624149252
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	04/21/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	639,919
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laura Perdew is a veteran nonfiction author, writing books for the education market on subjects ranging from toilets to pirates to politicians. This is her debut picture book. In addition to her work as an author, she is currently a writing consultant at the University of Colorado Boulder. Raised in Virginia, she now calls Colorado home.


Adelina Lirius was born in Kosovo and currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden where she works as a freelance illustrator. She earned a degree in art teaching from Uppsala University and studied illustration at Berghs School of Communication. This is her debut picture book.

Editorial Reviews

"The illustrations bring the children's imaginations to life on the page, turning the fort into lush scenes depending on the beholder, leaving it simple and ragged only when the two argue. The values of imagination and collaboration are conveyed without a heavy hand." - Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2019-12-22
Two children unwittingly—and unwillingly—share a fort in the woods, until one day their paths cross; will they fight or unite?

The prince, a white boy, struts toward his "castle," planning his feast—only to discover, among other pirate effects, a treasure map scribbled on his invitation and an eye patch on the floor of his great hall. He rids the place of the pirate things and continues planning his royal feast. The next day, the pirate, a black girl, dreams of travel and treasure as she parades toward her "ship"—but she discovers a feast invitation, a crown, and table settings. She tosses out the royal items and tidies up on deck. Each finds the unwelcome changes on their next solo visit too, but on the day of the feast, the prince and the pirate come face to face. When each discovers their intruder, a fight over the space with shouts of "No pirates allowed" and "No royalty allowed" gives way to a new use for the fort: spacecraft. This is a vision the two children can, and do, share. The illustrations bring the children's imaginations to life on the page, turning the fort into lush scenes depending on the beholder, leaving it simple and ragged only when the two argue. The values of imagination and collaboration are conveyed without a heavy hand. Two caveats: The interracial casting does not reflect real-world power dynamics, even among children, and one unfortunate imaginary scene sees the white boy presiding over a group of subjects of color.

Mostly delightful. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews