My four-year old daughter is an excellent storyteller, and I’ve had an idea for a while of helping her create her own story. Since it’s Book Week this week and she happens to have a pirate costume on hand, I was inspired to take action. I asked her some prompting questions like, “How can we show in the story that the pirate captain is brave?” and, “What if the rope isn’t long enough?” and the classic, “And then what happened?”
I took notes, wrote it up, and took a bunch of photos of her and TJ to supplement the photos we already had (mostly from her “Pirates and Mermaids” birthday party), then spent hours cutting and gluing them into the story. One of my friends has let me use his photos (including one with a pirate hat), so he got yet another dramatic role.
Of course I was careful to put her name on the front, so after I read her the finished tale this morning she went into school saying, “It has my name because I’m the author!”
Without further ado, here’s the story (with a few of the photos I used):
THE ADVENTURES OF PIRATE CAPTAIN LOUISETTE
Once upon a time there was a good pirate captain called Captain Louisette. She loved to borrow books and read them.
Pirate Louisette was a good person and a brave one, and very quick when she steered the ship. She had a new crew member called Gerin, who was shy.
She said to him, “Hello! Don’t worry. We’re good pirates.”
Gerin felt better and made new friends.
One day Gerin fell overboard!
And there was a shark!
Pirate Captain Louisette grabbed a rope and threw it overboard for Gerin to grab hold.
It was too short!
Pirate Captain Louisette grabbed a longer rope and threw it overboard for Gerin to grab.
He still couldn’t reach!
Louisette quickly put on her diving suit and jumped overboard to rescue Gerin from the shark!
She grabbed Gerin’s hand and pulled him really super hard, as hard as she could. She pulled him away from the shark and they swam quickly to get back on the ship.
Pirate Gerin was bleeding from where the shark bit him so Pirate Captain Louisette put a bandaid on him.
Then the shark had nothing to eat and it was hungry. Pirate Captain Louisette grabbed some fish and threw it into the water for the shark.
The shark swam super fast and grabbed the fish and ate it.
Then Pirate Captain Louisette sailed super fast away from every single shark.
She saw another pirate ship. It was bad pirates!
They sailed very close to her and said, “We’re going to take your crew!”
“Hide!” yelled Pirate Captain Louisette, and all of her crew quickly hid.
Then the bad pirates boarded her ship! They were going to take the ship and all her crew.
“Quick!” Pirate Captain Louisette yelled to her crew. “Put your diving suits on and jump into the water!”
Pirate Captain Louisette put her phone and her books in her handbag so they didn’t get wet.
All the good pirates jumped into the water. Gerin was brave just like Pirate Captain Louisette.
The bad pirates took Pirate Captain Louisette’s ship… and she took their ship!
She quickly sailed away from all the bad pirates, and the sharks. She called them on her phone and said, “Nyah Nyah Nyah! We took your ship!”
Pirate Captain Louisette’s new ship had a dog, and it was her favourite animal.
Pirate Captain Louisette looked down and saw mermaids swimming around in the water playing tag.
She called out, “Look up and stop!”
They heard her and they did stop.
The mermaids were scared, because they thought Pirate Captain Louisette was a bad pirate.
“Don’t worry!” said Pirate Captain Louisette. “We’re good pirates!”
The mermaids were still scared, so Pirate Captain Louisette put on her diving suit and jumped in the water to play tag with them. They all had fun!
THE END
Well done Captain Louisette and her Mum!
And now I’ve become a printing press, because her school wants a copy!
Lovely story! Thanks for sharing it with us
My pleasure! It certainly made my (book) week.