Origin
This started out as a very long story called, Grandma’s Chocolate Chicken.
He was left on Grandma’s doorstep one cold, blustery evening, nothing covering his little basket but a pink cellophane wrapper. Grandma took good care of him, fed him lots delicious noodles and he grew up to be a big, strong chocolate chicken.
When my story didn’t work. I tried adding a few pirates. (I like pirates.)
When the pirates stole Grandma’s rhinestone necklace, the chocolate chicken yelled, “Stop, thieves!”
“Egads!” said the Boss pirate. “A walking, talking chocolate chicken!”
At that point, I decided my story was too silly even for me. I changed the chicken into a parrot, threw away the first half of my story and wrote, Grandma & the Pirates!
Fun Facts
The Boss pirate looks a lot like my husband, Brian.
Melissa is the name of my youngest daughter.
There’s some fish missing from the end papers of the hardcover book.
All the rope designs are based on knots that sailors and scouts learn to tie.
Hide and Seek
A very wrinkled Balloon Tree book
An open copy of the Little Blue Ben book
One of Jillian’s pigs
The same rug that was in Jillian’s hallway
Jillian’s teddy bear
A chicken
Activities
Activity #1: Collect stories, songs, and poems about pirates and/or the sea.
Activity #2: This book can be incorporated into units on:
- The ocean
- Macrame
- Real and imaginary sea creatures
- Real pirates
Activity #3: Learn how to tie knots and the names of the sailor’s knots used on the borders of Grandma & the Pirates.
Activity #4: Write how the pirates could escape from Boola Boola.
Activity #5: Draw treasure maps and organize scavenger hunts using them. Instructions involve math. Take three steps forward, ten to the right, etc.
Activity #6: Make a treasure chest and fill it with gold chocolate coins of varying sizes, or colored beads of varying shapes, colours and sizes or painted macaroni coins and jewels, noodle necklaces and bracelets. This can be used for all kinds of math exercises: counting, adding, subtracting, estimating, sorting, sharing, etc.
Activity #7: Geography: Where would the pirate ship sail?
Activity #8: Make Pirate Food. This involves measuring and following instructions:
Grandma’s Noodle Pudding
Ingredients:
1 package of broad egg noodles
¼ cup melted butter
4 large eggs
½ cup sugar mixed with cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of raisins
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup brown sugar
Directions:
Cook the noodles till tender. Rinse and drain.
Beat eggs. Add butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, and salt.
Fold mixture into noodles and pour everything into 9 x 13 pan.
Sprinkle with brown sugar and cover with foil.
Bake 30-45 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Cut into squares and serve hot or cold.