Fan Mail and Reviews
Play The Name Game
The one-legged pirate from A Pirate's Quest does not have a name. The authors made that choice when they were writing the story, but many fans have asked if they could submit a name for fun. Here is your chance! Click here to submit your own idea for the one-legged pirate's name, and read what other fans have suggested!
Chocolate Pirate Ship Cookie Recipes
In A Pirate's Quest, the pirate's sister makes legendary chocolate pirate ship cookies. "Many pirates claimed they would rather find a treasure chest filled with her cookies than a treasure chest filled with gold." Click here to see pirate ship cookies and recipes from our fans.
Reviews about A Pirate's Quest and The Riddle in a Bottle
"The Riddle in a Bottle, by the multi-talented sister-brother team of Laura and Robert Sams, is an inventive, humorous tale that educates about the environment as it entertains. The Samses’ quirky dialogue, clever songs, and comedic timing combine with impressive footage of sea turtles, muskrats, and frogs to make for a splendid, original children’s flick." - Melissa Chianta, Mothering Magazine
"Instead of taking a dry approach to the topic of water, brother-sister filmmakers Laura and Robert Sams mix documentary footage, comedy skits and music to show how oceans, currents, tides and weather move water around the Earth. The result is fun and informative, with the Sams revealing a nice chemistry together – as siblings should. A goofily enjoyable viewing experience." - LA Parent Magazine Review
"The Jury felt that 'The Riddle in a Bottle' team should be recognized for a Special Jury Award for the production of a wonderfully refreshing, well-structured and fun-filled film that introduces children to the potentially 'boring' concept of the 'water cycle' in a clear and entertaining manner. The judges greatly appreciated the amount of effort the team must have put in to the original concept for the film, and particularly liked the creativity in the script, the clever use of humor and the attention to detail in both the visuals and the original music - who else has used a pirate's peg leg to reinforce the concept of moving water? I hope children enjoy it as much as the judges!" - Peter Bassett, Producer for the BBC Natural History Unit and Final Judge for the International Wildlife Film Festival
"Having watched quite a bit of kids shows in my day (and a number of rather geeky ones, too), this was one of the funniest, sweetest, quirkiest, and most intelligent videos on rivers, ocean, and wildlife that I'd ever seen." - Katy Yan, International Rivers. Read full blog review here.
"I don't even know how to write this review -- I can't find the words to articulate how clever, how cute, how memorable this [movie] was to my family." - Meg Wilson, parent blogger. Read Meg's full review on her blog site Muses of Megret.
"Co-written and illustrated by some unusually talented people . . . A Pirate's Quest is educational as well as fun. It is written in verse that echoes genuine pirate lingo: I vow that I will never give up. I'll never stop me quest! His quest demonstrates the interconnectedness of the earth's waterways as he journeys far and wide." - Elizabeth Breau, ForeWord Magazine
"Whimsical, engaging, and surprising—never preachy or predictable—full of song and sibling shenanigans, The Riddle in a Bottle is as original and fresh as it is important." - John Shepard, Center for Global Environmental Education, Hamline University Click here to read the full review.
"We embarked on our journey
with the book, A Pirate's Quest and immediately the children
were engrossed by the illustrations as they are not only beautiful but
a realistic depiction of plants and animals living from the lakes to
the sea. We followed the pirate on his quest in the book and I
listened as they made predictions about where the missing peg leg might
be. Some were surprised, some knew right away, but all were excited
that the pirate found his leg by the sea! We then made our own mural of
"moving water" complete with the printable materials that you provided
on your website. The children absolutely loved
this activity; they were working together peacefully, cooperating as a
group and helping one another." -- Suzanne Bendick, Sourdough Montessori School -- Click here to see pictures and learn more about this water mural activity.
"One of the teachers at the screening of The Riddle in a Bottle said it was the best children's film she has ever seen at our film festival. And the children's jury voted it the winner with a unanimous vote." - Janet Cohen, Co-founder of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Nevada City, CA
"Visiting Authors Hook Young Storytellers" - Read the full article about the authors of A Pirate's Quest at Sunnyslope Elementary, Washington
What did Publisher's Weekly say about A Pirate's Quest? Click here to read an article featured in Children's Bookshelf called "The Pirate Stays in the Picture" and see the authors at the Great Lakes Booksellers Association Trade Show.
"The Riddle in a Bottle came yesterday, and I was able to watch it last night. Definitely add my name to the heartfelt testimonials list! The creativity is at a whole new level . . . it is totally marvelous. The facts and implications are 100% valid and worthwhile." - Richard W. Hill, Ph.D., Professor of Zoology, Michigan State University
