Finley Poses with her Homemade Pirate Peg Leg

Well folks, this may be one of my favorite fan photos of all time. Meet Finley, a 4 1/2 year old little girl who has been playing “pirate” for weeks, according to her mother. Finley is a huge fan of our underwater movie The Riddle in a Bottle – especially the pirate’s Peg Leg Song, in which a pirate sings about his quest to find a lost family heirloom peg leg.  So how did Finley make her own peg leg? She wrapped bubble wrap around her leg, followed by a cardboard tube. I love it! We often get photos from young boys in swashbuckling, pirate-themed outfits, but we don’t often see young lasses in the midst of a seaworthy adventure. It’s sort of a princess meets pirate look. Ahoy to Finley!

A welcome Sisbro board, with waving pirate flag at Jacob Wismer Elementary

Here’s a joke: What does a computer call its dad? Read the answer below, from a 3rd grade student, in this blog post.

We just had the most amazing time performing author visits at Jacob Wismer Elementary in Beaverton, Oregon! It began with an extraordinary school welcome, complete with a hand-painted Sisbro pirate flag in the entry way of the school. Then we proceeded to do four assemblies. When the first group (of third and fourth graders) arrived bright and early at 8:30am, most of them were wearing pirate hats, and some kids even sported eye patches. The students were so well-prepared for our visit that it made our job easy. The third grade even presented us with a banner they made (see below).

Welcome Sisbro Banner from Jacob Wismer Elementary Author Visit

Our assembly was called “Oceans, Writing and Pirates Ahoy!” in which we share how we made the underwater movie The Riddle in a Bottle, and the accompanying children’s book A Pirate’s Quest. It’s basically an author/filmmaker visit about the creative process. Both the book and movie have pirates in them, so it was a pirate-filled day. It was also a riddle-filled day.

The students at the school brought us more “riddles in bottles” than any other school before. Just like the riddle in our own movie, the kids wrote their own riddles, put them in decorated bottles . . . and then brought them to us to be solved.

Riddles in Bottles From Students at the Author Visit

So what does a computer call its dad?

Answer: Data (pronounced dada)

Here’s another riddle from a student: We are four in the mountain. We are in the South, not the North.

Answer: Mount Rushmore

Jane, Rob and Laura with their pirate hooks held high

We really had a great author visit, and a special thanks goes out to Jane, the media specialist who hosted us, who is a dynamic performer of her own. Below is a photo of us with Jane, full of energy after an entire day of programs.

Pirate clad staff of Bertha Holt Elementary during our author visit

Pirate clad students of Bertha Holt Elementary during our author visit

]]> http://blog.sisbrostudios.com/pirate-school/feed/ 0 http://blog.sisbrostudios.com/talk-like-a-pirate-day/ http://blog.sisbrostudios.com/talk-like-a-pirate-day/#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:05:38 +0000 laura http://blog.sisbrostudios.com/?p=205 Well folks, it’s that time of year again for International Talk Like a Pirate Day. If you’re in that scalliwag kind of mood for talking AND singing like a pirate, click here for our sea-worthy Peg Leg Song.

And are you in the mood for a pirate joke? We get lots of them during our author visits to schools. Here is one from a boy at Orchard Primary School.

Question: What are pirates afraid of at night?

Answer: The daaaaaaaarrrrk.

Orchard Primary Pirate Reading Month

And maybe you feel like doing a pirate craft or school project? Check out these photos from elementary schools who have used pirates (and our book A Pirate’s Quest) as the inspiration for reading and writing. I am always amazed by what teachers and students can accomplish. I have even seen Principals dressed in pirate gear reading the morning announcements in their own pirate voice. If you ask me, that’s a good way to start school in the morning.

A contest for all ye pirate lovers, story lovers, art lovers and cookie lovers!

Ahoy mateys! Arrrrrrrrr you ready to think like a pirate and win some loot? International Talk Like A Pirate Day is coming soon (September 19), and in honor of such a fun-filled, swashbuckling kind of day, we have created a pirate-themed contest based on our book A Pirate’s Quest and the toe-tapping pirate tune The Peg Leg Song that inspired the book!

Do you like eating? Writing? Drawing? Then we have a contest category for you.

The book A Pirate's Quest with companion movie The Riddle in a Bottle

We will choose one winner from each category. Each winner will receive a free autographed copy of the book A Pirate’s Quest and the movie The Riddle in a Bottle (the movie with the song that inspired the book). Winners will also receive an official “Pirate Certificate of Approval,” signed by the book’s one-legged pirate and his two-legged sister (authors Robert and Laura Sams), making you an honorary pirate! Winning entries will be featured on our Web site and e-newsletter.

Category One: Pirate Cookies

Ghost Crab Holds a Pirate Ship Cookie, from A Pirate's Quest

In our book, A Pirate’s Quest, the pirate’s sister makes delicious chocolate pirate ship cookies. In fact, “many pirates claimed they would rather find a treasure chest filled with her cookies than a treasure chest filled with gold.”  Show us your swashbuckling skills in the kitchen and send us photos of your own pirate-themed cookies along with your secret recipe.  Get creative and we will choose our favorites from the photographs (no food samples necessary).

Category Two: Pirate Family Heirloom Stories

Pirate Triumphant, from A Pirate's Quest

In our book, A Pirate’s Quest, the pirate is searching for a lost family heirloom peg leg. “His one-legged grandpappy had worn it. His one-legged pappy had worn it. And he had worn it, hoping to pass it down to a one-legged son or daughter.” Here is your chance to imagine that you are a pirate, and your pirate family has lost something special. What special items could your pirate family have . . . and then lose? Write us a short story about your own family heirloom pirate adventure. 500 words maximum.

Category Three: Pirate Nature Drawings

Pirate Swims on Reef, from A Pirate's Quest

In our book, A Pirate’s Quest, the pirate’s journey leads him through many ecosystems as “he searched the lakes and followed the streams, which led to a river and out to the sea.” In the story, he passes deer, beavers, turtles, birds, whales, octopus and more. Draw your own picture of a pirate on a wild adventure. What animals do you imagine the pirate sees on his journey? Email us your drawings or send us your drawings in the mail.

How do you enter?
You may enter by email or by regular mail. Email your submissions (photographs or stories) to info@sisbro.com, along with your name, mailing address and phone number. If you enter by regular mail, send your entries to Sisbro Studios, 1925 SE Sherrett St. Portland, OR 97202 so that they arrive by September 25, 2009.  You do not need to buy any of our products to enter or win. Winners do need to live in the United States (for shipping purposes). All ages are eligible.

May you enter all three categories?
Yes. You may enter one, two or all three categories. Please submit only one entry per category though.

When is the deadline for entering?
All submissions are due by September 25, 2009.

Where and when will winners be announced?
Winners will be announced on September 30, 2009 on our Web site.

Where can you find inspiration?
Check out our page for A Pirate’s Quest to see photos from the book. And check out The Riddle in a Bottle page to hear The Peg Leg Song that inspired the book. You might also get inspiration from our web site www.sisbro.com.

Good luck, and may the best pirates win!