In Robert Priest's wonderfully quirky story, two stubborn souls -- a pirate and a queen -- engage in an epic naval battle in the sailboat pond of New York's Central Park. Inspired by his seafaring past, an old pirate builds a marvelous replica of his sailing ship, the Laughing Dog . But when he takes his model boat to the pond to launch, he finds the seas are not so friendly -- an imposing yacht owned by a haughty queen has swamped all the lesser vessels. An all-out war erupts between the pirate's Laughing Dog and the queen's S.S. Uppity Duchess . In the ensuing chaos, al fresco diners hide under tables, cooped-up dogs run free, and delighted children scramble to collect pea-size cannonballs. Who will rule the waves, and what will calm the waters in this offbeat tale of adventure and friendship in New York City