Commentaire descriptif

When Saul proves too small for the Navy, he keeps his dream of sailing on the high seas alive by becoming a pirate instead. Unfortunately, his tough and swarthy shipmates are not very kind about Saul’s gentle nature and domestic penchant. They push him overboard and sail away. But as the ship falls into disarray, the pirates realize they miss Saul’s unique contributions and race back to get him. Small Saul is primarily about staying true to what you love and who you are, even in the face of rejection. When Saul is rejected by the Navy on the basis of his stature (an objective standard), he finds a work-around by training hard to become a pirate. When Saul is rejected by his peers because of his gentle nature (a subjective standard), he waits patiently until his unique talents are recognized. Themes of masculine identity and bullying are touched on, but the book is never moralistic. Illustrations are cartoon-like and whimsical. With his thick eyeglasses, Saul radiates wide-eyed goodwill. The drawings are rich in details that are not mentioned in the text, allowing students to make discoveries that go beyond the teacher’s narration.