Maggie and the Pirate
Four Winds Press, 1979
One day Maggie’s pet cricket is stolen, cage and all! The only clue is a note: THE PIRATE WAS HERE. So Maggie and her friends set out to find the pirate’s hideout, and make a surprising discovery—and a new friend. Keats’s brilliant use of color and gesture creates a landscape where anything can happen and feelings run deep.
Take a Closer Look
In Maggie and the Pirate, Keats is at the height of his artistry. The story is action-packed, yet also moving and beautifully rendered. Maggie, a little girl in a remote rural community, has her pet cricket stolen by a strange boy, and she and her friends track him down. She overcomes her fear and confronts the boy, and in their tussle, the cricket drowns. What happens next shows us, with the directness of a child’s gaze, how our humanity connects us to one another and the world.
Look Beyond the Book
Read-alouds
Maggie and the Pirate
Mystery, bravery and friendship on the bayou
Activities & More
For the Love of Crickets
Intriguing insects, as pets, in nature and around the world
Video Takes
Chirp Chirp Chirp!
The mystery of a stolen cricket leads to a chase with a surprise ending
