Captain McKee's canoe has a mind of its own, and takes its passengers on a rollicking pirate adventure! The narrator of this whimsical rhyming story sets off in an enchanted canoe with his brother and O'Malley - a stuffed kangaroo - and meets up with a band of fearsome pirates. But the swashbucklers turn out to be friendly after all, and they all share a feast of hot dogs and "sizzled mallows," before the canoe speeds the adventurers safely home. The Pirates of Captain McKee was previously published under the title Whatever You Do, Don't Go Near That Canoe!, a 1996 Governor General Award winner for its illustrations.

"What every you do, don't go near that canoe," said Captain Kelsey McKee! Faced with a challenge like that who could resist? So two hardly young explorers climb aboard and head out into the night, seeking adventure. When they are finally cast ashore, a pirate-y surprise awaits!