Pirotta, Saviour (Sam Godwin)

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Pirotta, Saviour (Sam Godwin)

Personal

Born in Malta.

Addresses

Home—England.

Career

Playwright, storyteller, and author of books for children. Professional storyteller at Commonwealth Institute for eight years.

Awards, Honors

Best Nonfiction Picture Book designation, English Association, 1998, for A Seed in Need.

Writings

CHILDREN'S FICTION

The Idiot King: A Play, Samuel French (London, England), 1985.

Let the Shadows Fly, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1986.

Great Siege Day, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1986.

(With Sarah-Jane Stewart) The Flower from Outer Space, Blackie (London, England), 1988.

Once inside a Circle, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 1988.

Jasper Joe and the Best Trick in the World, Blackie (London, England), 1988.

The Pirates of Pudding Beach, Macmillan (London, England), 1989.

(With Nancy Hellen) Hey Riddle Riddle!, Blackie (New York, NY), 1989.

Solomon's Secret, illustrated by Helen Cooper, Dial (New York, NY), 1989.

Do You Believe in Magic?, Dent (London, England), 1990.

A Giant Stepped on Joey's Toe, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1990.

Dragonbusters, Blackie (London, England), 1990.

Pineapple Crush, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1991.

The Vampire Trees, Blackie (London, England), 1991.

Little Bird, illustrated by Stephen Butler, Tambourine (New York, NY), 1992.

Chloe on the Climbing Frame, Dent (London, England), 1992, published as Chloe on the Jungle Gym, illustrated by Rhian Nest-James, Barron's (Hauppauge, NY), 1992.

Operation Carrot, Blackie (London, England), 1992.

But No Cheese!, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1992.

Supper with the Spooks, Piper (London, England), 1992.

Fangerella, Dent (London, England), 1992.

Patch Learns to Bark, Brimax (Newmarket, England), 1993.

Follow That Cat!, illustrated by Peter Melnyczuk, Dutton (New York, NY), 1993.

Summer, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

Spring, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

Winter, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

Autumn, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

Pirates!, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

Angel, illustrated by Bettina Paterson, Little Simon (New York, NY), 2001.

The Treasure of Santa Cruz, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2002.

The Best Prize of All, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2002.

Santa, illustrated by Bettina Paterson, Little, Simon (New York, NY) 2003.

Patrick Paints a Picture, illustrated by Linzi West, Frances Lincoln (London, England), Simon (New York, NY) 2007.

ADAPTOR

Tales from around the World, Blackie (London, England), 1988.

Joy to the World: Christmas Stories from around the Globe, illustrated by Sheila Moxley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Native American Tales, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

African Tales, Wayland (Hove, England), 1998.

Stories from the Amazon, illustrated by Becky Gryspeerdt, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2000.

Stories from China, illustrated by Tim Clarey, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2000.

Jewish Festival Tales, illustrated by Anne Marie Kelly, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2001.

Christian Festival Tales, illustrated by Helen Cann, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2001.

The Sleeping Princess, and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, Orchard (London, England), 2002, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2006.

The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths, Orchard (London, England), 2003.

(With Alan Marks) Guess My Name: A Celtic Fairy Tale and also Rumplestiltskin, Franklin Watts (London, England), 2004, published as Guess My Name, Sea to Sea (North Mankato, MN), 2007.

(With Alan Marks) The Golden Slipper: An Ancient Egyptian Fairy Tale and also Cinderella, Franklin Watts (London, England), 2004, published as The Golden Slipper, Sea to Sea (North Mankato, MN), 2007.

(With Alan Marks) The Glass Palace: An Arabian Fairy Tale and also Sleeping Beauty, Franklin Watts (London, England), 2004, published as The Glass Palace, Sea to Sea (North Mankato, MN), 2007.

(With Alan Marks) The Enchanted Gazelle: An African Fairy Tale and also Puss in Boots, Franklin Watts (London, England), 2004, published as The Enchanted Gazelle, Sea to Sea (North Mankato, MN), 2007.

(With Alan Marks) The Lonely Princess: An Indian Fairy Tale and also Rapunzel, Franklin Watts (London, England), 2005, published as The Lonely Princess, Sea to Sea (North Mankato, MN), 2007.

(With Alan Marks) The Giant Oak Tree: A Russian Fairy Tale and also Jack and the Beanstalk, Franklin Watts (London, England), 2005, published as The Giant Oak Tree, Sea to Sea (North Mankato, MN), 2007.

Aesop's Fables, Kingfish (Boston, MA), 2005.

Icarus, the Boy Who Could Fly, Orchard (London, England), 2005.

The Secret of Pandora's Box, Orchard (London, England), 2005.

King Midas's Goldfingers, Orchard (London, England), 2005.

Perseus and the Monstrous Medusa, Orchard (London, England), 2005.

Arachne, the Spider Woman, Orchard (London, England), 2005.

Odysseus and the Wooden Horse, Orchard (London, England), 2005.

Traditional Stories from China, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2006.

CHILDREN'S NONFICTION

Jerusalem, Dillon (New York, NY), 1993.

Rome, Dillon (New York, NY), 1993.

Pirates and Treasure (part of the "Remarkable World" series), Thomson Learning (New York, NY), 1995.

Monsters of the Deep (part of the "Remarkable World" series), Thomson Learning (New York, NY), 1995.

The Wild, Wild West (part of the "Remarkable World" series), Thomson Learning (New York, NY), 1996.

Fossils and Bones (part of the "Remarkable World" series), Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1997.

Turtle Bay, illustrated by Nilesh Mistry, Farrar, Straus (New York, NY), 1997.

People in the Rain Forest, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1999.

Rivers in the Rain Forest, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1999.

Predators in the Rain Forest, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1999.

Trees and Plants in the Rain Forest, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1999.

Italy, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1999.

Christian Festivals Cookbook, with photography by Zul Mukhida, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2001.

Buried Treasure, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2002.

Albert Einstein, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2002.

Chocolate, Smart Apple (North Mankato, MN), 2003.

Teeth, Smart Apple (North Mankato, MN), 2003.

Bread, Smart Apple (North Mankato, MN), 2004.

Health and Medicine, Smart Apple (North Mankato, MN), 2004.

We Love Passover, Wayland (Hove, England), 2006, published as Passover, PowerKids Press (New York, NY), 2007.

We Love Easter, Wayland (Hove, England), 2006, published as Easter, PowerKids Press (New York, NY), 2007.

We Love Divali, Wayland (Hove, England), 2006, published as Divali, PowerKids Press (New York, NY), 2007.

We Love Christmas, Wayland (Hove, England), 2006, published as Christmas, PowerKids Press (New York, NY), 2007.

We Love Chinese New Year, Wayland (Hove, England), 2006, published as Chinese New Year, PowerKids Press (New York, NY), 2007.

We Love Id-ul-Fitr, Wayland (Hove, England), 2006, published as Id-ul-Fitr, PowerKids Press (New York, NY), 2007.

Author's books have been translated into fifteen languages.

UNDER NAME SAM GODWIN

Burning Secret, Henderson (Woodbridge, England), 1996.

Pocahontas, Runaway Princess, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1998.

A Seed in Need: A First Look at the Plant Cycle, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1998.

The Drop Goes Plop: A First Look at the Water Cycle, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1998.

The Trouble with Tadpoles: A First Look at the Life Cycle of a Frog, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1999.

A Sword for Joan of Arc, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1999.

Oscar's Opposites: An Introduction to Opposites, Wayland (Hove, England), 1999.

Clockwise, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1999.

Charlie's Colours: An Introduction to Colour, Wayland (Hove, England), 1999.

The Case of the Missing Caterpillar: A First Look at the Life Cycle of a Butterfly, Macdonald Young (Hove, England), 1999.

Sister on the Street: The Story of Mother Teresa, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2000.

The Hen Can't Help It: A First Look at the Life Cycle of a Chicken, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2001.

Mary Seacole: A Story from the Crimean War, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2001.

From Little Acorns: A First Look at the Life Cycle of a Tree, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2001.

The Prince in the Crystal Palace, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2001.

"TREMORS" SERIES; UNDER NAME SAM GODWIN

Picture of Evil, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2000.

The Headmaster's Ghost, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2000.

Welcome to the Waxworks, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2001.

Tunnel of Fear, Hodder Wayland (London, England), 2001.

Sidelights

Although Saviour Pirotta had little access to books while growing up on the island of Malta, he benefited by being surrounded by storytellers. Introduced to the pirate lore of the Maltese islands as a child, Pirotta learned many of these native stories by heart. He drew on his love of pirate stories and other oral legends from Malta in his first drama, The Idiot King: A Play, which retells a Maltese folk tale. In the years since, he has moved from plays to books for children, creating original stories, adapting myths and folk tales from around the world, and authoring numerous nonfiction titles about nature-based topics, both under his own name and under the pen name Sam Goodwin.

Pirotta's original picture books, which include Operation Carrot, Patch Learns to Bark, and Little Bird, tell simple stories geared for very young readers. Another book, Patrick Paints a Picture, tells a simple story about a boy and his aunt as they plan to paint pictures and weaves it into a concept book that teaches toddlers about basic colors. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Patrick Paints a Picture "a non-didactic, festive introduction" to both primary and secondary colors. Other picture books feature Pirotta's retelling of stories from around the world, including the fables of Aesop, Greek myths, British fairy stories such as Rapunzel and Snow White, and less-familiar tales from Russia, China, and Africa. According to Book Report contributor Tami Little, the stories in Pirotta's Christian Festival Tales "convey accurate information" about the included Christian holidays.

The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm finds Pirotta retelling fairy tales "delightfully," according to a critic from Bookseller. "Pirotta writes like a story-teller, with great imagery and description," Robin L. Gibson wrote in her review of the book for School Library Journal, and a Kirkus Reviews contributor called the same title "a lovely new collection." Julie Cummins, writing for Booklist, noted that "Pirotta's down-to-earth language will read well aloud." In his retelling of Aesop's fables, Pirotta expands on the original tales; "Each telling contains descriptions of the setting, extensive dialogue, and rounded-out motivation," wrote Susan Hepler in a review of Aesop's Fables for School Library Journal.

Some of Pirotta's books combine a folk-tale-style story with environmental themes. Turtle Bay introduces two children who are curious about the elderly man who sweeps their local beach. When the old man explains that he is making clearing space for the turtles, his activity makes much more sense. Other titles, which offer a more straightforward nonfiction approach, include Pirotta's "Deep in the Rainforest" series, which includes People in the Rain Forest and other titles. The series offers factual information about rainforest topics, including a discussion of threats to the rainforest environment, and provides rainforest related crafts for readers. Helen Rosenberg, reviewing People in the Rainforest for Booklist, praised Pirotta's "accessible text" in the volume.

Pirotta's books published under his Sam Godwin pseudonym include the award-winning A Seed in Need: A First Look at the Plant Cycle, which introduces five-to seven-year-old readers to basic science concepts. As Godwin, he is also the author of the "Tremors" series of middle-grade novels, concept books such as Oscar's Opposites: An Introduction to Opposites, and biographies of women such as Pocahontas, Joan of Arc, and Mother Teresa.

Despite his writings on numerous other topics, Pirotta has maintained his childhood love of pirates. His book Buried Treasure features lost pirate hoards, as well as mummies and burial mounds. As Cynthia M. Sturgis wrote in her review of the book for School Library Journal, although Buried Treasure offers only a basic introduction to its subject, the book "will attract browsers." During his visits to schools in his native England, Pirotta encourages his young audiences to follow their own interests in their own writing. As he explained to a contributor for the Jubilee Books Web site, Pirotta continues to focus at least some of his writing on "the dastardliest pirates ever committed to paper."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 1999, Helen Rosenberg, review of People in the Rain Forest and Rivers in the Rain Forest, p. 869; November 1, 2006, Julie Cummins, "The Fairy Tales," p. 56.

Book Report, November-December, 2001, Tami Little, review of Christian Festivals Cookbook, p. 82.

Bookseller, June 21, 2002, review of The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, p. 35.

Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2006, review of The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, p. 1022; October 15, 2007, review of Patrick Paints a Picture.

Natural History, December-January, 1997, Jean Craighead George, review of Turtle Bay, p. 8.

Publishers Weekly, June, 1992, review of Little Bird, p. 101.

School Library Journal, April, 2000, Wendy Lukehart, review of Italy, p. 124; September, 2001, Ann W. Moore, review of Jewish Festival Tales, p. 218; February, 2002, Cynthia M. Sturgis, review of Buried Treasure, p. 120; July, 2002, Edith Ching, review of Albert Einstein, p. 135; November, 2005, Susan Hepler, review of Aesop's Fables, p. 119; November, 2006, Robin L. Gibson, review of The Sleeping Princess and Other Fairy Tales from Grimm, p. 123.