Pesky Pirate:

Tied Up in the Florida Keys

(Looney Tunes Wacky Adventure 3)

by
Jesse Leon McCann

illustrated by

Duendes del Sur

Scholastic, November 2003, 58 pp.
ISBN: 0-439-56583-9

Genre: Early Chapter
Subgenres: Cartoon Characters / Time Travel
Reviewed: 1/24/2008

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

The Terror of the High Seas (1783)

At first, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck were confused. How could Yosemite Sam be here? Then the Re-replacer beeped. Daffy extended his arm, pushed the white button, and read:

Who: High Seas Sam, great-great-great-grandfather of Yosemite Sam

Occupation: Low-down, downright-annoying pirate

"Tried to vamoose with my treasure, did ya? Now I need to find another hidin' place." High Seas Sam growled and thrust his blade at them. "But first, I'm gonna run ya through!"

Daffy grabbed Bugs and placed the rabbit between himself and the blade. "It was all his idea! His name is Bugs Bunny!"

"Thanks a lot, pal!" Bug glared at Daffy.

"Hey, better a live chicken than a cooked goose!" Daffy said.

"You're both goin' on the skewer!" Sam said with a smile. "I'll have a duck-and-rabbit kabob for supper tonight!"

Synopsis

On the Warner Bros. Studio Lot, while waiting in the Big Boss' office for a meeting, Daffy Duck opens the Big Boss' coin case and plucks out a rare doubloon. Bugs, not wanting to get in trouble, tried to grab the coin and it flies out the window and falls into Taz's mouth, who promptly swallows it.

Realizing that they may get fired, they use the Acme Space Replacer to travel back to 1783 in Florida to the location of where this coin was found a year later. After they dig up a whole treasure chest full of doubloons, High Seas Sam shanghais them and makes them carry the treasure on board his pirate ship. John Paul Jones spots the pirate ship and opens fire.

Bugs Bunny disguises himself as the Russian Empress Catherine the Great and convinces John Paul Jones that she needs his help as admiral of her navy. When Bugs returns to Sam's ship, he and Daffy are held prisoner by Sam again.

They are running out of time to get to Barbados. If they don't make it by tomorrow, they will be stuck in 1783 forever.

Pesky Pirate: Tied Up in the Florida Keys is a book in the Looney Tunes Wacky Adventures series put out by Warner Bros. This book was written by Jesse Leon McCann and illustrated by Duendes del Sur. This series is intended for early chapter readers aged 7 to 9.

Review

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck . . . has there ever been a better straight man and comic relief duo in the history of film? I think not! Once again, these two classic characters team up to take on a distant relative of Yosemite Sam.

There are some good historical references to John Paul Jones and Catherine the Great, but it was overshadowed by the fact they Bugs and Daffy had to travel 1,600 miles in 1 day and 16 hours. I cannot even drive that fast (if there was a road there), let alone believe that a pirate ship could sail from Florida to Barbados in a day and a half. Beyond that, I highly enjoyed this little romp through time and think kids ill like reading this adventure.

Pesky Pirate: Tied Up in the Florida Keys is a fun read with two ultra funny lead characters. "Eh, what's up, Doc?"

I rated this book an 8 out of 10.