Cap’n Rex & His Clever Crew

Book Details

Genre & Age: Fantasy picture book (ages 4-7)
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages, 8.5 x 11″
Publisher: Sterling Publishing
ISBN: 978-1454920885

Get the Book

– From Bookshop
– From Mysterious Galaxy Books
– From Amazon
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Beyond the Pale Goodreads Reviews

Captain Rex and his dinosaur pirates sail the seven seas in search of buried treasure. But whenever they hit an obstacle—like a giant shark or pea-soup fog—the crew members are quick to say they can’t overcome. To this, Captain Rex always glares with teeth bared and says, “CAN’T YE?” And, somehow, the crew always comes up with a clever solution. This delightful story highlights the value of one’s creativity and determination in tough situations. It will encourage kids everywhere to think and say, “I can!”

What Others Are Saying

“Arrr, if ye be lookin’ for a rollicking read about pirate treasure and persistence, REX marks the spot.”
Molly Idle, Caldecott Honoree author/illustrator of TEA REX
“A darling book about problem solving and utilizing arrr! gifts. And the gorgeous illustrations are a treasure. Pure gold!”
Sherri Duskey Rinker, NY Times bestselling author of MIGHTY, MIGHTY CONSTRUCTION SITE
“This story will certainly thrill the pirate in your house. Through humor and ingenuity we learn that anything is possible!”
Barney Saltzberg, NY Times bestselling author/illustrator of BEAUTIFUL OOPS!
“Gorgeous illustrations paired with a satisfying story. CAP’N REX is tons and tons of dino fun!”
Fred Koehler, author/illustrator of SUPER JUMBO
“Pirates, dinosaurs, a voyage to a volcano? Well, shiver me timbers! There be surprise and rollicking adventure within these gorgeous pages. CAP’N REX gives readers a taste of pirate etiquette in this see-worthy treasure.”
Pat Cummings, Coretta Scott King Award winning author/illustrator of MY MAMA NEEDS ME
“Set sail with this frolicking adventure on the high seas where everything is possible!”
Vincent X. Kirsch, author/illustrator of FREDDIE & GINGERSNAP
“Cap’n Rex and his jaunty crew take us on a jolly journey, fraught with perilous adventures. Sticking together and using their wits to overcome obstacles at every treacherous turn, these dino heroes are destined to rake in their fabulous bounty. Gorgeous textures and sumptuous-shaped illustrations help make this book a delight for any young pirate.”
Joe Cepeda, Pura Belpre Honoree author/illustrator of I, FREDDY
“A clever yarn about overcoming obstacles that will have little buccaneers chanting “Can’t ye!” even after the last page has been turned.”
Corey Rosen Schwartz, author of NINJA RED RIDING HOOD

Book trailer video

Interviews & Reviews

“Is there room for one more piratical dinosaur tale on the seven seas? There be! As Capt. Rex and his dinosaur pirates three search for buried treasure, they are beset by toothy megalodons, thick fog, and volcanoes. However, each time his crew declares they cannot do something, the captain glares with teeth bared and murmurs, “Can’t ye?” That kind of motivation can’t be denied, and the dinos go out of their way to think of clever solutions to their seemingly insurmountable obstacles. At last the treasure is uncovered, but when the captain fails to share, it takes a carefully placed “CAN’T YE?” from his crew to convince him of what’s right. With his emphasis on invention over brute force, Herz eloquently models positive attitudes for young readers. Less chompy than the text, Schipper’s art repeatedly softens the storyline. For example, rather than glare with teeth bared as the text suggests, the illustrations portray Rex smiling knowledgeably as his crew puzzles through their problems. The dinosaurs may be extinct but let’s hope dinosaur pirates keep on sailing for arr-ternity.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Cap’n Rex and his dinosaur crew are searching for treasure, as pirates do. A megalodon bites off the ship’s rudder, but a brachiosaurus tail makes a serviceable replacement. A pterodactyl looks for land by flying above an enveloping fog, and an ankylosaurus uses his special attributes to dig up the gold. Meanwhile, Rex helps his group develop problem-solving skills and praises their clever solutions. The message about perseverance and creative thinking is stronger than the actual story, but the overall premise is made more fun by combining pirates and dinosaurs, two perennial storytime favorites. Cartoonish illustrations feature thick, solid colors and a mix of textures. The palette shifts according to the dinosaurs’ environment, which provides visual clues to the story’s progression. The crew demonstrates that they have learned the lessons well when they outsmart Rex at the end, making sure that he shares the treasure. The author includes a list of “piratey words” to be sure readers understand everything in the story and to possibly inspire them toward their own fantasy adventures.”
Booklist
Best Picture Books of 2017 list (Rebecca Gomez)
Local storyteller’s ‘Cap’n Rex’ shares a tale of creativity and perseverance (Del Mar Times)
Interview with Henry Herz (The Picture Book Buzz)
Perfect Picture Book Friday book review
An Interview with Cap’n Rex (Picture Books Help Kids Soar)
Interview of Picture Book Author Henry Herz (Writers Rumpus)
Henry Herz Scribes a Clever Tale for Little Mateys (Story Monsters Ink, p. 16)
Interview with Henry Herz (Books are My Life)
Spotlight and Author Interview (White Sky Project)
Review: Cap’n Rex & His Clever Crew (Bookworm for Kids)
Cap’n Rex’s Steps to Writing a Fictional Picture Book (Unleashing Readers)
Cap’n Rex – New Picture Book from Henry Herz (Paws4Thought)
Guest Author: Henry Herz (Michelle Ray)
Simply 7 Interview with Henry Herz (Simply 7)
Cap’n Rex & His Clever Crew: A Piratey Post (Penny Parker Klostermann)
Interview Alert: Henry Herz (Frog on a Blog)
Pirate Adventures Podcast (Reading Bug)

Pirate Resources & Activities

Study Guide (free PDF)

Pirate language

Pirate phrases
English-to-Pirate translator
Pirate Name Generator
International Talk Like a Pirate Day – September 19

Pirate equipment

Lists of famous historical pirates

Pirate Entertainment

Pirate activities for kids

Seafarin’ shanties to sing

Blood Red Roses
Blow the Man Down
Fiddler’s Green
Haul Away Joe
Lowlands
Roll the Old Chariot
Rolling Down to Old Maui
Spanish Ladies
The Bonny Ship The Diamond
The Coasts of High Barbary

Pirate Movies

Daphne and the Pirate – Lillian Gish, Elliott Dexter, Walter Long – 1916
The Black Pirate – Douglas Fairbanks, Billie Dove, Anders Randolf – 1926
The First Kiss – Fay Wray, Gary Cooper, Lane Chandler – 1928
Treasure Island – Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Lionel Barrymore – 1934
Captain Blood – Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill – 1935
China Seas – Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery – 1935
Spawn of the North – George Raft, Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour – 1938
The Sea Hawk – Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains – 1940
The Black Swan – Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara, Laird Cregar – 1942
Reap the Wild Wind – Ray Milland, John Wayne, Paulette Goddard – 1942
Frenchman’s Creek – Joan Fontaine, Arturo de Córdova, Basil Rathbone – 1944
The Princess and the Pirate – Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan – 1944
Captain Kidd – Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton – 1945
The Spanish Main – Paul Henreid, Maureen O’Hara, Walter Slezak – 1945
The Sea Hound – Buster Crabbe, Jimmy Lloyd, Pamela Blake – 1947
Sinbad the Sailor – Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Maureen O’Hara, Walter Slezak – 1947
Buccaneer – Bunny Mel Blanc (voice) – 1948
The Pirate – Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak – 1948
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. – Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo, Robert Beatty – 1951
Anne of the Indies – Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan, Debra Paget – 1951
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd – Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Charles Laughton – 1952
Against All Flags – Errol Flynn, Maureen O’Hara, Anthony Quinn – 1952
The Crimson Pirate – Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok – 1952
Fair Wind to Java – Fred MacMurray, Vera Ralston, Robert Douglas – 1953
The Black Pirates – Anthony Dexter, Martha Roth, and Lon Chaney, Jr. – 1954
Captain Hareblower – Mel Blanc (voice) – 1954
Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl – Anthony Dexter, Eva Gabor, Alan Hale, Jr. – 1954
The Buccaneers – Robert Shaw, Paul Hansard, Brian Rawlinson – 1956
The Buccaneer – Yul Brynner, Claire Bloom, Charles Boyer – 1958
Rage of the Buccaneers – Ricardo Montalbán, Vincent Price, Giulia Rubini – 1961
The Pirates of Blood River – Kerwin Mathews, Glenn Corbett, Christopher Lee – 1962
A High Wind in Jamaica – Anthony Quinn, James Coburn, Dennis Price – 1965
The Rover – Anthony Quinn, Rosanna Schiaffino, Rita Hayworth – 1967
Blackbeard’s Ghost – Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette – 1968
The Light at the Edge of the World – Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner, Samantha Eggar – 1971
Treasure Island – Orson Welles, Kim Burfield, Lionel Stander – 1972
Swashbuckler – Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones, Peter Boyle – 1976
The Island – Michael Caine, David Warner, Angela Punch McGregor – 1980
Nate and Hayes – Tommy Lee Jones, Michael O’Keefe, Max Phipps – 1983
Yellowbeard – Graham Chapman, Peter Boyle – 1983
The Pirates of Penzance – Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, Linda Ronstadt – 1983
The Goonies – Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman – 1985
Pirates – Walter Matthau, Cris Campion, Damien Thomas – 1986
The Princess Bride – Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, André the Giant – 1987
Treasure Island – Charlton Heston, Christian Bale, Oliver Reed – 1990
Hook – Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts – 1991
Muppet Treasure Island – Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, Billy Connolly – 1996
Treasure Island – Jack Palance – 1999
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley – 2003
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley – 2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush – 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush – 2011
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! – Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven – 2012
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem – 2017

Pirate Recipes

Pirate Jokes

Q: Why don’t pirates shower before they walk the plank?
A: Because they’ll just wash up on shore later.
Q: How did the pirate get his Jolly Roger so cheaply?
A: He bought it on sail.
Q: What has 8 legs, 8 arms and 8 eyes?
A: 8 pirates.
Q: What did the ocean say to the pirate?
A: Nothing, it just waved.
Q: What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
A: A nervous wreck.
Q: How much did the pirate pay for his piercings?
A: A buck-an-ear.
Q: How do pirates prefer to communicate?
A: Aye to aye!
Q: Why did nobody want to play cards with the pirate?
A: Because he was standing on the deck.
Q: What are the 10 letters of the pirate alphabet?
A: I, I, R and the seven C’s
Q: What happened to the pirate when his wooden leg caught fire?
A: He got burned to the ground
Q: What is a pirate’s favorite movie?
A: Booty and the Beast (But it is arr-rated)