Pirate Ships, Mermaids, & Sea Creatures (Punk Shop Dragon, Short Stories and Art by Rae Grout)

By Rae Grout

Pirate ships with mystical beasts and magical mermaids.

I have always been fascinated with pirate lore. This obsession began when I was a young girl, riding on the bow of my dad's cabin cruiser, racing on the lake at top speed. My brothers and I held onto the boat's railing as our legs dangled over the edge, giggling uncontrollably.

At night, we would tie up to a beach that our friends had named after my dad. While the boys slept on the beach, Dad had me sleep in the boat's bow with the hatch open, watching the stars as the boat rocked me to sleep. I always felt like we were the type of pirates who went to school, whose parents worked normal jobs during the week, and spent the weekends on the lake and camping out on a beach.

As I matured, I came to understand that there were different kinds of pirates. There were the Privateers, who served the crown, the Pirates who sought treasure through plunder, and then there were we, the rugrats, who found joy in camping on beaches and sleeping under the stars. My mother teased us and said the only way she could get us out of the water would be by yelling, "Dinner's ready." We would tease her, saying, "Call us anything but late for dinner."

This book is a tribute to my two grandmothers: one who loved a sailor and spent her final years eagerly awaiting his return, and the other who was fiercely protective of her family. Both of them, in their ways, showered their love on their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, leaving an indelible mark on our lives.

To create this book, I generated all the images, some of which were drawn or taken from pictures.

Thank you, dear readers, for supporting my art and wordsmithing. Your love and encouragement mean the world to me, and I hope this book brings you as much joy as it did for me while I was creating it.

My grandchildren, Alex and Ben (who created some of the drawings in this book), as well as Pippa Puppy, have approved this book.

I have written this book for the young and young at heart. I hope it brings a smile to one's heart.

Cyber Huggies,
Rae

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H462HGK3
• ISBN13: 9798308773719
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.2" x 5.5"