Emily Lampa talks with the author and illustrator of the children’s book Goodnight ship. Two dads out of Syracuse got together to create this book about pirates. Rick Martinez wrote the book Goodnight Ship and Matt Piikarsky illustrated it.
Rick Martinez says a captain is only as good as his crew. The book is about appreciation. The captain is appreciating everybody who does their job from the person swapping the decks to the person steering. A good captain should say thank you. Rick says please, may I and thank you are the things we need to bring back again.
Matt Pikarsky says one of the biggest things that stood out for him was the warmth that was coming off the pages and he said to Rick that they have to capture this and he really wanted to make this happen.
The inspiration for Goodnight Ship was when during last year. He had gone to schools and libraries and he was supposed to do a whole bunch of them last year when COVID hit. Rick says he started a Facebook Live reading and they asked him to read Goodnight Moon which everyone loves including him. He goes on to say that he was thinking that night that he should do a pirate version of that.
Rick in his full pirate regalia looks like Captain Jack. He says it started a long time ago. He was a big Halloween buff and he built a pirate ship in his yard. A friend told him he looked like Captain Jack Sparrow. One thing led to another and he had a fundraiser. It was called Captain Jack on a pirate ship in Auburn, N.Y. He says he did that for almost seven years. A good friend of his at Literacy Volunteers asked his to do readings, librarians and some schools were asking him.
Matt says they are all about family and community here and to be able to be in person to share the books they are creating together with families and communities is incredible.
Rick Martin and Matt Pikarsky have a new book coming out. There is a very specific difference from the book they currently have out and the one they are going to launch. The new book is called “A Captain’s Quandary.” Rick says as he was doing the Facebook Live readings, a good friend of his told him he need to let these kids know that everything is going to be okay and that’s were A Captain’s Quandary came which leaves a dilemma. Matt tells us it’s not just a children’s book, it is a letter to kids, and he loves that part of it. Matt goes on to say because it is COVID, he approached it with a softer feel.
You can find Goodnight Ship at apirateibe.com by clicking here. You can also find the book online at Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble and you can also go to your local book seller and order it.
A Captain’s Quandary will be available on May 22nd.
